


Star Wars Episode IX: The Last Hope

by ArtemisRose727



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Anya Solo, Ben Solo Lives, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben Solo is a big brother, Ben is an AMAZING older brother, But He is Still A Bad Ass, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Friendship, How TROS should have gone, Love, No Incest, Original Plot, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, POV Ben Solo, POV Kylo Ren, POV Original Character, POV Original Female Character, POV Rey (Star Wars), Parents Han and Leia, Protective Ben Solo, Rating will change, Redeemed Ben Solo, Reylo - Freeform, Romantic Fluff, Sibling Love, Soft Ben Solo, TROS Fix-It Fic, The Force, Yes Knights of Ren, Yes Leia and Han had another kid, Young Ben Solo, loving reylo, no palpatine, reylo is endgame, seriously, so much plot, they love each other so much but there will be none of that here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:01:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22974439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtemisRose727/pseuds/ArtemisRose727
Summary: The Resistance is in shambles.Kylo Ren is now the Supreme Leader of the First Order and is working to spread its dominion across the entire galaxy by any means necessary.Seventeen year old Anya Solo hasn't seen her brother in a decade. When she hears about the dire state of things, the young princess takes it upon herself to find the Supreme Leader and confront him, intent only on bringing her brother home.While all of her friends worry about rebuilding the Resistance from the ashes of Crait, Rey has only been able to think of one thing, or rather, one person: Ben Solo. She yearns for him more than anything in her whole life and when Anya arrives, Rey sees an ally who also believes that he can be saved.Together, Anya and Rey devise a plan to get him back once and for all. But even if they succeed, things are always more complicated than they seem. Inevitably, they find themselves fighting against a number of unforeseeable enemies whose very existence threatens them all and the future of the galaxy…
Relationships: Finn/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s), Poe Dameron/Original Female Character(s), Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 92
Kudos: 85





	1. Prologue: Pawns in a Game

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! 
> 
> This is a reimagining of episode IX, of how I think it should have gone. There will be no Palpatine, plenty of the KOR, and most importantly, Ben Solo lives! ❤️ 
> 
> I’ve been working on this for a while now, long before TROS came out and in the painful aftermath of the film I think it’s time to share with my fellow Reylo’s and Ben Solo lovers. 
> 
> A huge huge huge thank you to winglessone for her unwavering support and guidance. And of course, for the absolutely STUNNING moodboard she made for this story. ❤️❤️❤️
> 
> I’m so excited to share this story with everyone and hope that people enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it! I would appreciate any comments! Please give me feedback and let me know how you like it! 
> 
> Much love, 
> 
> ArtemisRose727 
> 
> P.S. Credit to some of the writing in the chapter goes to Robin Goodly, who is no longer writing this with me but still deserves credit none the less.

_ Prologue  _

_ 18 ABY, Chandrila  _

_ Ben Solo knew that this night was going to change his life forever. Even at the young age of thirteen he knew how much a new baby could alter everything. After all, his whole family had been preparing for months and Ben was no exception. Once his mother had begun to show it had finally resonated with him completely that he was going to be a big brother. And now, after months of waiting and of being equally excited and terrified at the prospect, Ben was going to find out if he had a new baby brother or baby sister.  _

_ He really didn’t have a preference as to which, just so long as both the baby and his mother were okay in the end.  _

_ It was torture, having to sit in his room and pretend to be asleep while he knew very well what was happening down the hall. Despite what his parents thought, he had heard the hushed whispers between his father and the midwife who had arrived several hours prior. Ben turned to glance at his clock.  _

_ 3:12 in the morning. He sighed and went back to watching the shadows dance on the walls, created by the light streaming in from under his door and the various objects in his room. Ben wanted to be with his mother so badly, but he was afraid of getting in the way. He always felt like he was in the way…out of place. Even with his parents.  _

_ Several more minutes passed and then suddenly there was a guttural scream of agony. Ben sat up in his bed with wide eyes. Unable to sit there any longer, he gave in and quietly slipped from his room. Careful not to make a sound, Ben crept down the dimly lighted hall towards his parent’s room. The door was slightly ajar and bright light was shining through it, beckoning him. Afraid to be seen, Ben stayed in the shadows when he peered inside.  _

_ His mother was lying in a bed with her legs spread and feet planted flat on the mattress. She was sitting up with one hand on her swollen belly and the other tightly gripping his father’s hand. Her face was scrunched up in pain and she was taking short, heaving breaths as if the pain was so bad she couldn’t draw air into her lungs. His father was whispering something to her that Ben couldn’t make out, but she nodded furiously before letting out another scream. The midwife appeared in his view then, going around to sit between his mother’s leg. She appeared to check something and then looked up to his parents.  _

_ “Nine centimeters dilated. You’re doing wonderfully, Leia. Only one more and then you can start pushing.” _

_ “Han.” His mother gasped out. “Check-” She broke off and seemed to bear down, her whole body clenching. When it passed she continued, “check on Ben. I don’t want to wake him.”  _

_ “He’s fine, Leia.” His father assured her, taking his free hand and smoothing back the hair from her forehead. “I’m not leaving you.” _

_ Ben let out a breath of relief. He wasn’t looking forward to having to run back down the hall to his room if his father had agreed to go check on him.  _

_ A furry hand came down on his shoulder. Ben barely stopped himself from yelping. He spun around to come face to face with Chewbacca.  _

_ “Chewy,” he breathed, relieved. “You startled me.”  _

_ The Wookie gave an apologetic grunt.  _

_ “It’s alright.” Ben assured him, patting his hairy arm. Chewy let out another series of quiet grunts and growls.  _

_ “Yes, I should be in bed,” Ben answered. “But I couldn’t sleep knowing what was going on. Please don’t tell on me.”  _

_ Chewbacca heaved a great sigh of defeat and shrugged his big shoulders. Ben smiled and threw his arms around the Wookie. “Thanks, Chewy. You’re the best.” A grunt somewhere along the lines of  _ yes, I am. Why do you seem so surprised? _ was the only reply he received as the Wookie patted his back affectionately. Ben had to hold back a smirk. Chewbacca was many things, but humble was not one of them.  _

_ From inside, his mother cried out again.  _

_ “Alright, Leia, you can do this. Push!” The midwife instructed firmly.  _

_ His mother clenched and let out another scream. Ben couldn’t see anything more than that, but he heard the midwife continue to urge her on with encouraging words as she sat at the foot of the bed. “That’s it, Leia. Push! Push harder! I see the head.” _

_ “You’re doing great, sweetheart,” he heard his father say. “Almost there.”  _

_ The screams were almost constant now and Ben couldn’t help but be thankful he had been born male. Childbirth sounded agonizing and he silently thought that he must remember to apologize to his mother for putting her through it when she had borne him.  _

_ Next to him, Chewy moaned anxiously. Ben reached out and took his hand and gently squeezed. “They’ll be okay,” he tried to reassure the troubled Wookie. “They have to be.” _

_ “Alright Leia, the baby is almost out. I need you to give me one more hard push.” The midwife was saying.  _

_ There was one final scream of immense effort and then it was over. Ben watched his mother slump down with an exhausted huff and the midwife removed something from the base of the bed. He strained to see, knowing full well it was the baby, but couldn’t. The glimpse he caught only showed that it was covered in blood and some thick white globs.  _

Ew, _ he thought _ . Babies were gross _.  _

_ All thoughts of disgust at the baby’s outward appearance evaporated a moment later when Ben watched the midwife frown and turn away from his parents, taking the baby with her. Something was wrong. He could feel it. His chest was tight and he felt like he couldn’t breathe.  _

_ Why wasn’t the baby crying? Ben knew enough to know that babies were supposed to cry right after they were born and took their first breath.  _

_ Unless…a horrible thought occurred to Ben and fear seized him. The baby wasn’t breathing.  _

_ “What is it?” He heard his mother ask, concerned. “Belinda, what’s wrong?” _

_ “It’s just...” Belinda sounded. “The cord…” _

No,  _ Ben thought to himself.  _ They couldn’t lose this baby.  _ Panicked, he reached out on instinct, completely unsure of what he was doing, merely wishing he could do something to make the baby breathe. He knew at that moment that he would have given anything for his new sibling to be okay.  _

_ “What the hell is going on?” Han demanded. “Is something wrong with our baby?”  _

Breathe.  _ Ben gasped as something he couldn’t identify seemed to break like a wave against a beach. Suddenly he was able to take a full breath again and his chest no longer felt like a Rathtar was sitting on it.  _

_ A shrill baby’s cry broke the hushed silence that had descended on the room. Ben sucked in another breath and his eyes widened.  _

_ There she or he was. They were alive.  _

_ It was quite possibly one of the most wonderful sounds he had ever heard.  _

_ “Congratulations,” the midwife said, coming back into his view and handing the small bundle to his mother. “You have a beautiful baby girl.”  _

_ Ben caught his breath.  _ A girl _. He had a sister. His mother and father’s smiles could have lit up the darkest reaches of the galaxy as they gazed down at their daughter. Ben felt his own lips curve up into a smile.  _

_ Then his mother frowned and looked directly at him and he stiffened. She must have sensed he was there. “You can come in now.” She said. _

_ “What?” His father looked up, clearly confused.  _

_ His mom rolled her eyes. “Ben, come in, honey.”  _

_ Ben tentatively pushed the door open and shuffled into the room with his head hung guiltily and his hands clasped in front of him. “Sorry.” He mumbled.  _

_ His mother smiled at him. “Don’t be sorry, sweetheart. Come here,” she reached out a hand and waved him forward. “We want you to meet someone.”  _

_ Slowly, Ben made his way over to his parents. When he reached them, his father placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him to the side of the bed where his mother was shifting the little bundle so he could see.  _

_ And then, Ben Solo gazed upon his sister for the first time. _

_ “This is your new baby sister. Anya.” His mother told him. Ben couldn’t stop staring at her face. She was so tiny. It was hard to believe anyone could be that tiny. She had the roundest little cheeks with the cutest mouth and button nose. And even though she was just born, her head was covered with thick black hair. Like his own.  _

Sister _. The word kept repeating over and over in his mind.  _

_ “Can I- ” he started. “Can I hold her?”  _

_ His parents exchanged a glance and then looked back at him with smiles on both of their faces. With a nod, his mother moved to transfer Anya into his arms.  _

_ “Watch her head.” She instructed.  _

_ Ben nodded and was careful to brace her head in the crook of his elbow. She was light and surprisingly easy to hold, he noted with a bit of surprise.  _

_ “Hi Anya,” he whispered as he gazed down at her face and into her eyes, which were also dark like his. Her little lips were pink and shaped like a bow, parting as she let out a small coo. “I’m Ben. Your big brother.”  _

_ “Now, don’t be too disappointed if she doesn’t respond.” His father joked with a broad smile. His mother laughed, but Ben was completely mesmerized by the little bundle in his arms. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, cradling her close to his body. She was so warm and soft. Ben smiled when he felt her little hand brush his face as she squirmed a bit.  _

_ “How precious.” He heard his mother say. “And we were worried he might not take well to the new baby initially.”  _

_ His father grunted in acknowledgement. It was then that Chewy decided to make his entrance, coming to stand beside Han who smiled at his best friend, clapping him on the back.  _

_ “Chewy,” Leia greeted the Wookie, taking his furry hand in her own and squeezing. Chewbacca grunted softly in response, being careful not to wake Anya.  _

_ “Alright, it’s time for Anya to nurse.” Started Leia. “And it’s time for you to go back to bed.” She added, looking pointedly at Ben and reaching to take his sister from him.  _

_ Ben frowned and held on to her. He didn’t want to let her go. “Do I have to go back to bed? It’s practically morning anyway.” _

_ “Ben.” His father said sternly. “Listen to your mother.” _

_ “Fine.” Ben muttered and gently deposited his sister back into his mother’s arms. He bent to give her one more kiss on her cheek. “I’ll see you in a few hours, Anya.”  _

_ Then he leaned over to give his mother a kiss. “Goodnight, mom.”  _

_ “Goodnight, love.” She replied.  _

_ With that, Ben made his way to the door, turning only once to look back at Anya before he left, closing the door behind him. Back in his own room, Ben lay in his bed feeling a strange sense of peace coming over him. It had started the moment he held Anya in his arms for the first time. He had been so nervous about having a sibling but the moment he saw her, Ben knew all his worries had been foolish.  _

_ Anya was absolutely precious and he loved her so much already. Such a feeling of protectiveness flooded him then and Ben knew that he would do anything to keep her safe and ensure she never felt lonely or out of place like he had for much of his life.  _

I swear to you, Anya _ , he thought.  _ So long as I live you will know nothing but love and affection and I will never let anything happen to you _. Ben knew she couldn’t hear him and that even if she could she wouldn’t understand, but his heart was telling him to make the vow anyway.  _

_ “I promise.” He whispered into the darkness, before sleep claimed him.  _

  
  


34 ABY, Planet Kymar, Temple of Pax

The Temple of Pax was so old it had no proper landing pads for air ships. The transport touched down in an empty field at the base of the mountain and powered down. The back hatch descended, and a man strode out of the belly of the ship and onto the harsh, rocky ground, flanked by four Stormtroopers. The group was instantly buffeted by a bitter wind, which swept across the barren landscape with a mournful, keening note.

General Armitage Hux wore his customary sour expression, as if something foul smelling lingered beneath his nose. He craned his head back, taking in the sight of the jagged mountain before him, the peaked towers of the Temple of Pax at the top. The shrine was made of dark stone, the same as the mountain from which it had seemingly been carved. Set against the backdrop of pale sky, it was a grim sight.

Hux’s mouth thinned. He was not in a good mood. It was about to be made worse by the lone figure that had emerged from the mouth of the temple and was now making its way towards him.

Tall, broad, and dressed in black robes with the hood thrown back, the man walked with a swagger that instantly irked Hux. He had a haughty, handsome face, richly tanned and marred somewhat by his crooked nose. His dark eyes were upturned and nearly black, as was his hair, which had been cut brutally short. At the man’s side was a loop of black cord with two metal balls attached to one end.

The man halted before the party. His gaze passed over the general, his guards, ship, and then back to Hux. His face split in a cat-like grin.

Hux clenched his jaw.

“Welcome,  _ general _ ,” said the young man. “Did you have a safe flight?”

“Where is he?” Hux replied curtly, interrupting the robed man’s mocking inquiries.

The other man’s grin only widened. “Our  _ Supreme Leader _ is expecting you.” And with a swirl of robes, he turned and began walking back towards the temple.

Hux motioned for two of the Stormtroopers to stay with the ship before following. As they rounded an outcropping of rocks a set of worn stone steps was revealed, climbing steadily up the edge of the mountain.

Hux caught up to the robed man. “The Knights of Ren have not been idle, I trust, in bringing our glorious new empire to greater heights.”

The young man glanced sideways at Hux, smirking faintly. “Oh, we’ve been having  _ fun _ . The Rebels have lots of little hideaways for us to…sniff out.” 

“I am surprised that they have any left,” Hux said.

“Indeed. I honestly expected that you would have found them all by now, but I guess even generals make mistakes.”

“Watch your tone, Tyran. I still outrank you.”

Tyran gave no indication that the threat had touched any cord within him. “This is  _ our _ temple, general. Inside is  _ our _ leader. Your rank means nothing to any of the Knights of Ren.” He shot a look at the Stormtroopers clattering up the steps behind them. “And neither do your plastic guards.”

All talk was rendered impossible at that point as the wall of rock, which had previously been shielding them, came to an end and the ferocious Kymaran wind slammed into them; it would have taken Hux’s breath away, had he not already been winded.

Presently, the steps came to an end and the main doors of the Temple of Pax spread huge before them. They were enormous things, made of a kind of wood so thick and ancient that it had become as hard as stone. Carvings decorated the surface, images of the gods and the servants who used to dwell in the Temple of Pax long before it was repurposed by the Knights of Ren; the images were too worn to properly make out now.

The gates stood ajar, and the four men entered the main courtyard. The flagstones beneath their feet were cracked with age and broken by shriveled weeds. A creeping plant had grown thickly upon the walls, the color of its leaves a vivid green which shone faintly.

Tyran led the way through another, slightly smaller wooden door into an entry hall, then through a third door.

Originally, it had probably been the main worship space, but now its religious icons were pushed against the walls and scarlet banners hung from the balcony and the narrow slotted windows at the back of the architrave. In the architrave, an ordinary wooden chair made into a seat of power by the man currently occupying it.

A man wearing black pants and tunic, with a mask made up of cruel silver lines. Flanking him were two men, also robed and masked: one wearing a hood and ghoulish mask, his hand gripping a tall metal staff, the other a broad individual, stocky but clearly powerfully built, who leaned upon a thick-bladed sword.

General Hux halted before Kylo Ren and clasped his hands behind his back.

“Supreme Leader,” Hux said stiffly.

Kylo Ren did not lift his head. His attention was focused upon his lap, where his gloved hands were folded.

“Sir, the other generals have arrived and are awaiting you upon our flagship. They wish to know your orders concerning what remains of the Resistance.”

A soft click preceded Kylo’s first words as the voice box in his mask engaged. “ _ Our  _ flagship?”

Hux didn’t even bat an eye. “Our, meaning the First Order, sir.”

“My orders as they stand are to hunt down and kill every last member of the Resistance. They have not changed from when I first issued them.”

“I understand that, Supreme Leader, but the generals are anxious to meet with you. The change in leadership has…shaken them. They seek reassurance that you will be everything and more than Snoke.”

At last, Kylo brought his head up. “I am more,” he said simply. “And you may tell the generals that I will gladly demonstrate just how much more I am, should they forget it and dare question my power and authority again.” 

Behind Hux, Tyran grinned.

Hux paled. “Yes, Supreme Leader,” he said.

“Leave me,” Kylo said curtly. “I have other matters to attend to.”

Once Hux had left, Kylo returned his attention to his lap. He held in his hands his lightsaber. It had not worked properly since that last fight in Snoke’s throne room nearly three weeks ago.  _ Had it really been so long?  _ It felt mere moments since he had stood in that room, fire and smoke surrounding them, the smell of sweat, of blood, pungent in the air, and them – only the two of them – the last to remain standing. Two pawns in a game. Well, now they were a king and queen on opposite sides of the board; it was all a matter of who could out-maneuver the other.

And Kylo didn’t plan on losing. 

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 1: A Simple Arrangement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A huge thank you to to everyone who left kudos and/or commented! I live for comments (they help the creative juices to flow :D) 
> 
> Thank you to my dear friend winglessone for her support and for the beautiful moodboard! Also, I would like to thank nancylovesreylo for helping me to essentially market this fic since I am not a well known fic writer! I appreciate you both so much! 
> 
> I hope you all like this chapter! Please let me know what you think in the comments!

_ _

_ Planet Chandrila, Skywalker-Solo Estate, 18 ABY _

__

_ The first thing Ben Solo learned about babies is that they were loud. _

__ _ In the two months since her birth, Anya hardly ever stopped crying. For the first few weeks his mother had stayed home, but like always she was eventually and inevitably called back to politics, and thus left Anya in the care of a wet nurse. _

_ Ben had thought the nurse was supposed to soothe Anya and keep her quiet. He was wrong. It was the third night in a row now that he was lying awake in his bed, unable to sleep thanks to the shrill cries coming from the adjacent room. There had been a time when Anya would quiet down after a few hours, but these past few nights her crying seemed to just be getting worse. _

_ Something had to be done because Ben wasn’t sure he could take another day being dead exhausted. The lack of sleep was making it difficult for him to focus on his lessons and he knew that soon it would start reflecting in his grades. Making up his mind Ben got up and slipped from his room. When he opened the door to the nursery the first thing he saw was that the nurse his parents had hired to look after Anya was passed out in a chair. An empty bottle had slid out of the woman’s grasp and onto the floor, remnants of some amber colored liquid evident at the bottom. _

_ Ben frowned, feeling a sudden wave of anger towards the irresponsible nurse. He pushed it down, instead focusing all his attention on the wailing infant in front of him. Anya was bright red from the exertion of screaming, her tiny hands balled into fists and little feet kicking out spastically. _

_ Ben leaned over her crib. “Anya…” he started, reaching down to rub her belly. “Please stop crying.” _

_ She screamed louder. _

_ He sighed, not knowing what to do. On pure instinct he bent over to scoop his sister up into his arms. She fussed incessantly, squirming and crying at the top of her lungs. _

_ “Shhhhh…” He said, attempting to soothe her by rocking her gently like he had seen his mother do numerous times. Slowly, Anya began to calm, her breaths becoming softer as she stared up at him with wide eyes. _

_ “That’s right, good girl.” Ben whispered. “Shhhh…” _

_ Anya just continued to watch him in fascination and then proceeded to try and shove her entire fist in her mouth. Ben’s heart just about melted. She was so cute. So precious. He tilted his head down to press a kiss to her forehead. _

_ “It’s alright now, Anya. Go back to sleep.” _

_ As if on cue she yawned and turned her head to nuzzle into him, eyes fluttering closed. Her little lips moved in a suckling motion and Ben felt a twinge of guilt. He hadn’t thought that she might be hungry. Hopefully the neglectful nurse had fed her before falling into a drunken stupor because he certainly couldn’t help her in that regard. _

_ Soon, Anya’s breathing became deep and even, and Ben knew she had fallen asleep.  _ Now for the tricky part _ , he thought.  _ Getting her back in her crib without waking her up. _ The task proved nearly impossible the moment he tried to place her down. Jerking awake, Anya started to cry once more. Quickly bringing her back to rest against his body, Ben desperately tried to keep her from getting hysterical again.  _

_ “Shhh…” he rocked her, gently cradling her head to rest on his shoulder. Anya made little grunting noises and settled instantly. _

_ “What am I going to do with you, little peanut?” He asked her. “I have to sleep. I can’t stand here and hold you all night.” _

_ Unsurprisingly, his infant sister didn’t offer any helpful advice. _

_ What to do indeed. He certainly couldn’t bring her back to his room and risk her falling out of his bed. Eyeing her crib, an idea struck him. With great care, Ben managed to lower the rail of Anya’s crib with one hand and lowered himself down to the mattress. The wood creaked and he flinched, halting his movements and sitting perfectly still, praying it wouldn’t break. When it became apparent it was going to hold for the time being, he slowly situated himself so he was lying on his side with Anya still sleeping in his arms. It was a tight fit as he had to keep his legs bent under his body and his back hunched uncomfortably, but it worked. _

_ Anya kicked out her feet as she slept and Ben smiled, tucking his face next to her head and drawing in a deep breath. Despite the cramped environment, her presence soothed him as much as his seemed to soothe her, and in no time at all Ben felt the gentle tendrils of sleep reaching out to beckon him into the world of unconsciousness. _

__

_ The next morning, Ben awoke to his mother angrily shouting at the nurse, who was immediately dismissed. From that moment on, he and Anya were near inseparable.  _

Planet Frell, Rebel Base, 35 ABY

It was a gloomy day for a funeral.

It was late autumn on Frell. The air that morning contained a bite of frost. The forest surrounding the Rebel’s base was exploding with vibrant colors of orange, yellow, red, and purple ever since the leaves changed, the first hint of impending winter. The brilliance of it certainly didn’t match the mood of the remaining resistance members where they stood in a small grove of fire saplings. A spring could be heard babbling somewhere close by, and the curious trilling call of one of the planet’s native birds sent chills down the spines of the assembled mourners.

In the three weeks that had passed since the death of Supreme Leader Snoke and the almost total annihilation of the Rebel fleet, there had been no time to mourn for lives lost. They had gathered now for a memorial service, although there were no bodies to bury. Instead, twenty wreaths – one for each ship lost – had been laid on the center of the grove, made from the cuttings of the crimson saplings and bound with strips of white cloth which had been torn from the flags of the various ships.

The rebels all wore black arm bands.

Rey stood amid the crowd. She was still recovering from wounds sustained in the battle against Snoke’s guards, and she leaned upon the arm of Finn, who remained ever loyal by her side. Chewie, who had also become a nearly constant companion, stood on her other.

For three weeks they had been running, first on the Millennium Falcon with a handful of survivors, and then with more as the scattered rebels came to join them. They arrived at Frell with half a dozen ships and nearly thirty men. That number had already doubled, but they were still hopelessly outnumbered by the First Order.

The work on Frell had been nonstop: first the base had to be secured. Years of neglect on account of being abandoned had left the place in a miserable state, and many parts were no longer structurally sound. Of course, to make the extensive repairs (and rebuild in many cases) they needed materials, and that was a resource in which they were sorely lacking.

_ They were lacking in all resources,  _ Rey thought to herself.

Since it was necessary if they were going to have any chance at all, Leia had organized several missions to obtain the critical supplies they needed. Only small groups went out and great lengths were taken to ensure that the excursions remained under the radar of the First Order. To facilitate remaining undetected, they scavenged for parts and materials on the sparsely populated outer rim planets. In this way, Rey had overseen several of them because of her experience scavenging on Jakku. The scavenging missions hadn’t been very fruitful, but they managed to obtain enough to get by for the time being. Still, their position was critical, teetering on the edge of a proverbial cliff with an explosive attached to it. And no one knew if it would fall and shatter first from instability or be blown to pieces by the First Order. Either way, most didn’t believe it was going to end well.

In short, the Resistance was crippled. Of that there was no doubt, and Rey knew it would take nothing short of a miracle to pull them out of this void of hopeless despair into which they had fallen.

The spark of hope still remained in the galaxy, but it was weak and in desperate need of kindling.

***

After the memorial service ended, the small crowd dispersed as everyone went back to their tasks. Rey, still not knowing her place in all of it and feeling rather useless as a result, found herself wandering aimlessly around the base. 

In fact, she wondered if she would ever know her place and feel like she belonged. It was something she had yearned for her entire life, but still hadn’t experienced completely.  _ Well, except for those few times…with  _ him. Rey reminded herself, and then proceeded to feel the sharp pain in her chest whenever she thought of him.

Ben Solo hadn’t left her thoughts since she closed the Falcon’s door on Crait, cutting off their connection. A part of her regretted not trying harder to convince him to go with her when he offered her his hand in Snoke’s throne room. Rey couldn’t help but feel she may have jumped to conclusions about his offer, his  _ plea  _ for her to join him. Because it was a plea, she had realized afterwards, when she recalled his soft utterance of  _ “please”  _ and the way his eyes had searched hers, desperately trying to determine what she might do.  _ Choose me,  _ he had seemed to silently beg.  _ Please. Everyone else in my life has given up on me…turned away from me…please be different.  _ She couldn’t imagine someone who was completely gone would go from saying  _ “You know I can take whatever I want”  _ to quietly whispering  _ “please”.  _ True monsters didn’t say please. He had genuinely wanted her to join him of her own volition, because if he had wanted, he could have simply compelled her with the Force…or at least tried.

But he didn’t. He had given her the choice; he had placed it within her control.

_ You’re nothing. But not to me.  _ Those words haunted her thoughts during the day much like their speaker haunted her dreams at night. Rey couldn’t help but take them as a confession (albeit, a less than gallant one given his first calling her nothing) that he felt for her. Perhaps even in the same way that she had begun to feel for him. 

Rey had attempted to tap into their link many times those past three weeks, needing to see him, to hear the deep timbre of his voice, but to no avail.

He had shut her out.

The connection was still there, an ever-present low hum in the background of Rey’s conscious mind. She was painfully aware of its incessant tugging on her heart like a tether, urging her to go to him. She had half a mind to follow it, to just leave everything behind for him, because it was with him and him alone that she truly felt like she belonged. But Rey knew it wasn’t the time. For now, she needed to help the Resistance get back on its feet. That is, if someone would tell her what she could do.

“Rey?” The sound of someone calling her name jerked Rey from her thoughts. Blinking in a daze, her eyes focused on her surroundings. She was in the hospital wing, which was one of the few buildings still standing in one piece. She must have walked there on autopilot, lost in her own mind. Finally, her eyes settled upon Finn who was staring at her from his place seated beside Rose’s cot.

“Yeah?” Rey murmured.

Finn frowned. “Are you okay? I was calling you for a few minutes there, but you didn’t respond. It was kind of freaking me out.”

Now it was her turn to frown. “Oh, sorry. I was just…lost in thought I guess.”

“Did you want to talk about it?” Finn asked, nothing but concern for her in his eyes. Rey smiled. She adored him.

“Ah, no, thank you. It’s really…it’s not important.” She cleared her throat then, and went to change the subject,  _ needing  _ to change the subject. The last thing she wanted to talk about was her conflicted feelings for the Supreme Leader of the First Order, least of all with Finn. “How is she?” Rey asked, using the Force on impulse to call another chair to her so she could sit next to him. Finn reacted the same way everyone else in the Resistance (save for Leia) reacted to her exercising the Force; a mixture of fear, uncertainty, and awe in his expression.

_ Ben wouldn’t react that way.  _ An unwelcome voice whispered in the back of her mind. Rey knew it was true. Ben would rejoice in her abilities, teach her how to harness the Force effectively. He would support her.

_ Her equal. _

“She’s the same. Unchanging. The doctors are saying just to be happy because it could be so much worse.” Finn told her and Rey started, almost forgetting that she had inquired about Rose. She had gotten swept up in thoughts of Ben once more. 

“Do they know when she’ll wake up?” She asked, eyeing the many monitors to which the young woman was currently tethered. 

Finn shook his head. “It’s hard to tell with these things. Their best guess is that she’s in a trauma-induced coma and that she’ll come out of it when her body has recovered enough. They tell me to be patient, but I-” His voice broke and he shut his eyes, dropping his head.

“I don’t know what to do, Rey.” Finn whispered softly, head still down. “I feel so lost, helpless to do anything.”

Rey put her arm around her friend and hugged him. “She’ll be okay, Finn. I’ve never officially met her, but I can tell she’s a fighter. She won’t give up.”

Finn said nothing for a long while, merely leaning into her and accepting the comfort she was offering. “I was ready to die,” he murmured finally and Rey looked at him in alarm as he continued. “When I was about to drive that speeder down the canon’s throat, I was ready and willing to give my life for the good of the Resistance. But then she came out of nowhere, knocking my speeder out of the way, and all I could think is that she looked like an angel coming to my rescue.”

Rey squeezed his shoulder. “I for one am grateful that she did. That she got you both out of there alive.”

Finn reached out and gently brushed Rose’s hair back, expression almost wistful. “She kissed me, you know. Right before she lost consciousness she kissed me and said, ‘That’s how we’re going to win. Not by destroying what we hate, but by saving what we love’.”

_ Saving what we love.  _ Those words echoed inside Rey’s head as her mind was once again brought back to thinking about someone she would very much like to save.

“You love her.” She said simply to Finn. He turned his eyes to meet hers. “Yeah. I think-I think I really do.”

Rey smiled at her friend, squeezing his hand as she leaned her head on his shoulder. “Hold on to that and I have no doubt that she will come back to you. Don’t give up hope.” It was the same thing she had been repeating in her head like a mantra about Ben. The trouble was, Rey had an awful premonition that she truly was the only person left in the whole galaxy who believed that Ben Solo could still turn back to the light. 

***

Rey stayed with Finn and Rose for several hours. Eventually though, she took her leave and started to wander back towards the main control room. It wasn’t much and the equipment was testy at times, but they were making it work. Rey spotted Poe talking with a few officers she hadn’t seen before and made her way over to him. At least she knew he would acknowledge her presence, as many of the others gave her a wide berth, refusing to even look at her.

Sure enough, when Poe noticed Rey approaching he slapped the shoulders of the men and shook hands with the women with whom he had been conversing and quickly made his way over to her.

“Hey,” Poe said. Rey did not miss the change in his tone. It softened slightly, and a smile warmed his eyes as he looked at her.

“Hi.” She greeted him. “Who were they?” Rey asked, jerking her chin at the group of men and women who were strangers to her.

Poe glanced over his shoulder, as if he had forgotten them. “Some of our allies; Resistance commanders from outer posts. They’ve come with their representative generals. Recent events have left quite a vacancy in the leadership so we need to elect a new board of leaders.”

_ Recent events that could have been avoided if they had answered Leia’s call for aid on Crait,  _ Rey thought grumpily. “Nice of them to show up now.” She said aloud, trying (and failing) not to sound overly bitter.

Poe picked up on her tone though and nodded in sympathy. “Yeah, I know. I’m pissed about it too. But as Leia reminded me it’s not as if we are in a position to refuse help. Unfortunately, we just have to take what we can get. Besides, the more we people we have on our side, the more contacts we have for resources like food, ammo, ships, the works.”

“So, we’re what? Just supposed to allow them into our ranks even though they waited until it was nice and convenient for them to make good of their  _ alleged  _ allegiance?” Rey felt the darkness in her start to rear its head as her anger escalated. She quickly pushed it down.

Thankfully, Poe hadn’t seemed to notice, as he had turned his head to look towards their allies. “Yes, that’s exactly what we’re supposed to do.”

Planet Sappho, Jejune City, 35 ABY

It was the rainy season on Sappho. A near constant barrage of storms for three months straight turned the already heavily wooded planet into a tropical rainforest, complete with the insects and humidity. The streets of Jejune were empty (save for a few straggles who were braving the monsoon), which made it easy for the lone, hooded figure to slip by, dodging puddles with lithe movements.

Anya Solo hated the rain. She hated the humid warmth that made her hair stick to her neck. She hated the smell of the road when it got wet. But most of all she hated how the rain reminded her so much of home, her true home on Chandrila. Because when she thought of it, she thought of her family, of  _ him,  _ and that memory was just too painful to endure.

Attention slipping for a split second when he crossed her mind, Anya missed a step and tripped on an uneven piece of stone. Swearing softly, she barely swerved in time to miss an old man who was hobbling along in the opposite direction. “Sorry,” she muttered under her breath, simultaneously pulling the hood of her cloak more securely around her after it had been jostled when she briefly lost her footing. The last thing she needed was someone recognizing her and Alba learning she had snuck out of the Academy… _ again. _

Anya always felt guilty doing this behind Alba’s back. After all, the woman was only following orders by withholding any and all information about the events occurring in the galaxy. She didn’t fault Alba in the least, and in fact admired her dedication to the task with which she had been charged a decade before when Anya was deposited into her care. However, she needed information to keep tabs on her family, and nothing would stop her from obtaining it. From the time Anya had been old enough to begin exploring Jejune on her own, she had started searching for contacts who could provide her with updates about the movements of the First Order and the Resistance. The good thing was, Jejune was a port city, rich with traveling merchants and smugglers who saw all corners of the galaxy on a daily basis and came rife with stories. The bad thing was, to find a contact who had no loyalties to Alba required that Anya go to very questionable parts of town.

It was the part of Jejune that held a large portion of the city’s very profitable black market. Taking carefully measured and well-practiced steps down a dark and damp alleyway, Anya kept on high alert for thugs lurking in the shadows, just waiting to prey on an ignorant passerby who took a wrong turn. Thankfully, Anya knew exactly what she was getting herself into by coming here, which is why she always brought along her dagger and blaster, both of which she could easily hide under her cape. And both of which would give Alba a coronary if she knew about them. As she passed a particularly frightening looking character, Anya palmed her dagger and her eyes flitted upwards to glance at the raven flying circles above her. Having Onyx with her was truly a comfort as she knew the extremely loyal bird would swoop down and attack anyone at Anya’s command.

Fortuitously, she reached her destination without having to gut anyone or have Onyx gauge someone’s eyes. Anya stopped just outside of the house, if it could even be called that. It was more like a glorified shack or tent, complete with only one whole wall, a partial wall, half a roof, and the rest was patched up with canvas and tarps. Although, compared with the other dwellings around it, Anya supposed it actually wasn’t half bad. Letting out a shrill whistle, Anya held out her arm and waited for Nyx to descend, the raven gracefully landing on her forearm a moment later. Then, she used her free hand to pull back a piece of tarp and stepped inside, out of the rain.

The interior fared little better than the outside. Stolen wares and goods littered every nook and cranny: rolls of luxurious silks, trinkets made of some precious metal, and in one corner a pile of gold and jewels sat glittering in the low light. Anya approached the tent’s sole occupant, a weaselly looking man with sharp, angular features, and a shock of crimson hair.

“Well, Bat, it looks as if you had quite the successful run on Canto Bight.” She said by way of greeting, gesturing to the jewels and gold.

Captain Batiatus Lore looked up, giving her an unimpeded view of the eye-patch he donned on his right eye and the scar that extended from both above and below it. The angry red line reached his hairline and the opposite end cut south, twisting the corner of his lips down, marring the rest of his face. He was a pirate in every sense of the word.

“Anya Serah,” he said her name like a purr, voice silky smooth. “I was wondering when I would see your beautiful face here again.”

Anya flashed him an alluring smile, not at all phased by his use of her false name. After all, as far as anyone here knew, she was the daughter of Alba Serah, headmistress of the Academy of Fellows. Alba herself was the only one who knew the truth of Anya's identity. “I’m here at the end of the month, as always. Nothing has changed.” She said saucily, sauntering over to him. 

Bat smirked and leaned back in his chair, watching Anya intently as she flung herself down in the seat opposite him. Onyx perched on the back of Anya’s chair. “What can I do you for, Miss Serah?” Bat asked, only sparing the raven a brief glance. 

Anya shot him an incredulous look. “Let's cut the bullshit, shall we? It isn't a part of our arrangement.”

Bat roared with laughter. “Oh, I've missed that mouth of yours, little lady! Such a biting tongue on one so young and innocent.”

Ignoring his comment, Anya pulled out the small satchel she had been carrying from under her cloak and jiggled it at him tauntingly. The coins inside clanked together, making a jingling sound that had Bat perking up immediately, gazing at the bag with hunger in his eyes. 

Anya smiled. In fact, their arrangement was simple. At the end of every month when Anya got her stipend and Bat returned to Jejune Port, she would give him the money in exchange for an update on the First Order and the Resistance. “Now,” she said. “Pray tell me what you've heard on your journeys?” 

Bat gave her another toothy grin. “Right to business, as usual then. Well, missy, I heard while trading with a friend of mine on Takodana that the Resistance was all but destroyed by the First Order on Crait a few weeks ago.”

Anya felt all the breath leave her lungs and she struggled to keep her expression neutral, an emotionless mask. “Oh. And what of its leadership, I wonder? Did General Organa escape the slaughter? Surely without her the Resistance won’t last much longer.” 

Speaking of her mother so formally always felt strange, but it was necessary to keep up the masquerade.

“I didn't hear a list of names of the survivors,” Bat conceded. “But I do know there was only a handful and that I for one, believe she is among them. I'm sure if such an important figure was dead, we would surely hear of it.” 

Anya prayed he was right. She was just especially concerned this time because a few weeks prior (about the same time that this altercation on Crait evidently occurred) Anya had felt a massive disturbance in the Force. It was so intense that it was tantamount to someone powerful with the Force passing away and Anya had immediately thought of her mother. 

“But,” Bat continued. “I did hear that the Jedi knight Luke Skywalker showed up at the battle and was killed.” 

Anya nodded. “I see.” So that was what she must have felt. The passing of her uncle. The loss stung, but secretly she was simply grateful her mother was alright. Now there was one more person she needed to know survived, but she had to phrase her inquiry carefully. 

“And what of the First Order?” She whispered, silently cursing herself for how her voice shook. This was always where it got hard for her to keep her composure. Thinking about him, talking about him. 

“Stronger than ever,” replied Bat. “Bastards are making it nigh bloody impossible to cut a decent profit the way they're persecuting free trade.” His tone was bitter. “Personally, I blame the change in leadership.”

“Change in leadership?” Anya pressed, interest piqued.

Bat stared at her in disbelief. “Amazing. You really don't know anything about what's going on.”

“No,” Anya said, growing highly irritated. “Which is why I pay you good money to enlighten me. Now, I suggest you do so, before I take back said payment.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright. Don't get your knickers in a twist. It's just, the whole galaxy is talking about it. Kylo Ren has taken over as Supreme Leader of the First Order in the wake of Snoke's death.” 

_ Thank the stars,  _ Anya thought.  _ He was alive.  _ Relief unlike anything she had ever felt swept over her. It wasn't as if Anya believed him dead, but it was nice to have the confirmation all the same. In her heart, in her very soul she knew he was okay though. She would have felt it if that wasn't the case. The world would feel different if he was truly gone...wrong. That would be one death from which Anya knew she would never recover. 

“I have to say,” started Bat, when Anya said nothing in response. “It still strikes me as curious as to why the daughter of a headmistress would want to know of such things.”

Anya stiffened and shot him a steely glare. “I'm afraid you'll have to remain curious on that account. My business is my own and I'll not have it questioned. You don't hear me pushing you to reveal just how you obtained those valuables from Canto Bight.”

Bat chuckled. “Alright, fair enough. I just thought I would ask…see if you were feeling generous and wanted to throw old Bat a bone.”

Anya smiled dryly. “Not today. Sorry to disappoint.”

Bat shrugged. “Well missy, I don’t have anything more to offer you. Unless of course, you’re interested in something more… _ material.”  _ He gestured to the goods surrounding them, a mischievous grin on his face. 

She shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m afraid I’m a little short on funds.”

Bat let out another boisterous laugh. “Touché.”

Deciding it was time to take her leave, Anya got to her feet. “Thank you for your time and the info, Bat.”

“Anytime, honey. Anytime.” He replied, then added. “Are you sure you want to head back to the academy tonight? It’s not safe out there.”

“I made it here all right, so I think I’ll manage.” She assured him. “Thanks for your concern though.”

“Keep your eyes open.” Bat told her with a wink.

“Will do,” Anya said. “I’ll see you next month.”

“See you, kid.” He said.

Anya took a deep breath, hating the next part, but knowing it was necessary. It always was. “Oh, and Bat?” She called over her shoulder.

He looked up once more. “Yeah?”

Anya snagged his gaze with her own and held it, speaking her next words with a heavy weight attached to them, tapping into the Force. “You will not speak a word of what we talked about today to anyone. If anyone asks I was never here.”

Bat’s eyes glazed over and he repeated her orders in a monotone voice, completely bending to the will of the Force…to her will. “I will not speak a word of what we talked about today to anyone. If anyone asks, you were never here.”

She left the memory of her being there in his mind, as she did every time so that she wouldn’t have to remake their arrangement each time she went to him. However, it was imperative that he not let it slip to anyone about their meetings. It was true that no one on Sappho knew of her real identity (save for Alba), but Princess Anya Solo was not a secret to the whole galaxy. And not all who knew of her were friendly.

Anya took one last look at the rugged pirate and nodded, satisfied her orders had been received, before she took the edge of the tarp in her hands and drew it back. Calling Onyx to her, she slipped silently back into the damp night air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there you have it! Anya has made her debut! I would love to know people's thoughts on her because she is kind of my baby as far as OCs go. <3


	3. Chapter 2: Perfect Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello dear readers! So, you got to meet Anya in the last chapter! I hope you all liked her and are continuing to enjoy this fic! This chapter is a little shorter, but it contains a lot of background info that will be important moving forward (mostly establishing Anya and Ben's relationship). 
> 
> As always, thank you to my dear friend winglessone for the amazing moodboard and for her support! Also, thank you to nancylovesreylo! I appreciate you both so much!
> 
> I also want to thank everyone who left kudos and commented on and/or shared this story! Your support keeps me going! 
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter and please please let me know what you think! I love hearing your thoughts and theories!

_ Planet Chandrila, Skywalker-Solo Estate, 19 ABY _

_Ben Solo was completely in love._

_ Not romantically of course, but the love he felt for his baby sister was all consuming just the same. He would do anything for her without hesitation, no questions asked. She was the center of his universe, his entire world revolving around her. _

_ Anya was just under a year old now and already a little firecracker, with her head full of thick, black curls, and rosy cheeks. At her age she was just beginning to try and walk, so he stayed ever by her side to ensure she didn’t hurt herself. _

_ “There you go, Anya. One foot in front of the other.” He urged from a few feet in front of her as she toddled unsteadily towards him. _

_ “You’re doing so well, peanut.” Ben assured her, heart nearly bursting with pride. _

_ Anya gave him a wide grin, flashing the few baby teeth that had come in and the gummy gaps of where they had yet to make an appearance. She took another step, but this time one leg crossed in front of the other, causing her to trip and lose her balance. _

_ She cried out in alarm but Ben lunged forward and caught her. Anya gazed up at him, wide eyed and shaken. “I’m here,” he soothed, pulling her close. “I’ve got you, baby. I swear I will never let you fall.” _

_ ~ _

The Academy of Fellows was situated at the heart of Jejune City. An intricate maze of cream colored marble buildings suspended in the air by the top anti-gravity technology, it was nothing short of impressive. Anya navigated her familiar route back to the dormitories with ease. To someone who didn't know, the sole way in and out of the academy was through the central gatehouse (which was, for obvious reasons, the only academy building on ground level). It was always heavily guarded, and a five foot thick stone wall that was twenty feet high extended from each side of it circling completely around the school. Hovering ten feet above the wall and spaced about one hundred feet apart, were additional guard towers. These too, were always under guard and huge patrol lights situated on top of them constantly scanned the surrounding area like floating lighthouses. 

Thankfully, Anya knew a way around all of it. Or, rather, under all of it. Stepping carefully, so as to avoid being caught in the sweeping patrol lights, Anya made her way to the secret side entrance that no one knew about. The academy was centuries old and so there were secret passageways that not even Alba knew existed. The opening to this one in particular was concealed behind a thick covering of ivy, which Anya had to push aside to access the doorway. 

The other thing that was inevitable on account of the passageways being so old and unmaintained, was that the ground was very treacherous and it was extremely dark. Squinting, Anya let her eyes adjust and began the slow descent. Fortuitously, she knew the way well. In the ten years she had lived at the academy, Anya had spent a great deal of that time exploring these secret halls and passageways.  _ It wasn't as if she had been permitted to do much else.  _ Her mother had seen to that. It was she who made the decision to send Anya away when she was seven years old and essentially lock her away in this...prison. Though, it hadn't been all bad, Anya had to concede. Sappho was a lovely planet and Alba had been wonderful to her all these years. Still, it wasn't home and she knew it never would be. It was impossible. He wasn't there. Feeling a sob building in her throat, Anya pushed it down. No matter how many years it had been, being separated from the most important person in her life never got any easier. There was an empty void in her heart that she knew only he could fill. 

Reaching the ascending stairway that would let her out in the main courtyard, Anya carefully stepped up...and lost her footing. Slipping, she came down hard on her knee and stifled the reflexive cry of pain. Another thing about the tunnels; they echoed horribly. Looking down at her knee, Anya swore softly when she saw the fresh crimson stain of blood bubbling up through the torn fabric of her pants. The sight struck a chord within her and suddenly Anya was swept away in a memory...

~

_ Six-year-old Anya Solo sat on the ground crying while clutching at her leg. She had fallen while trying to climb onto her father's speeder and skinned her knee on the hard ground.  _

_ "Anya?" Her brother's voice called out, and a moment later he emerged from behind the garage. He had been nineteen at the time, not long before he started his Jedi training. As soon as he saw her his eyes widened and he was at her side in an instant, crouching down. "Oh, baby, what happened? Are you okay?"  _

_ Anya's lip wobbled and fresh tears spilled over her eyes. "Benny...My-my knee." She whimpered.  _

_ Ben's gaze dipped down to where she was holding her hand over the wound. He reached out and covered her hands with his own, gently peeling them away.  _

_ "Let me see."  _

_ She removed her hands and he inspected the scrape, gently poking at the tender flesh.  _

_ "It hurts." Anya sniffled.  _

_ "I know, sweetheart." He replied softly, then bent down and placed a kiss to her forehead. "Let's go get it patched up."  _

_ Anya reached out for her brother. He leaned over and scooped her up into his arms, cradling her to him as he walked them into the house. Heading straight for the washroom, Ben carefully deposited Anya on the counter and went to work cleaning her cut knee. There was a stinging sensation when he used the antiseptic wipes and Anya whimpered.  _

_ "I'm sorry, baby." He said, voice full of sympathy. “Almost done.” _

_ When he finished, Ben reached into the cabinet and pulled out a bandage strip before gently placing it on her cut. _

_ “Kiss it better!” Anya demanded, nearly kicking her brother in the face when she flung her leg up in the air. He dodged it, catching her heel with his hand and bringing her knee to his lips. _

_ “All better?” He questioned, smiling at her. _

_ “All better!” Anya exclaimed happily, flinging herself at him and wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed his cheek and Ben chuckled, returning her embrace. _

_ “Thank you, Ben.” She said into his neck. _

_ He turned his face towards her to press a kiss to her hair. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.” _

_ ~ _

Anya was pulled back from her reverie with tears in her eyes. It had always been like that between them. There was never any question or judgement; she had needed him, and he had always been there. Not a day had gone by during her years in exile that she hadn’t thought of her brother, but it had been some time since she experienced such a vivid memory.

Even though she hadn’t laid eyes on him in a decade, Anya’s mind had perfectly preserved his features. His face, his eyes, his voice…all of it. It was a relief, but also something she would have expected. After all, how could she forget anything about him?

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Anya swallowed back her pain and continued climbing the stairwell. When she emerged, all was quiet and still in the courtyard. The only sound was that of the almost melodic tune caused by the water in the fountains. Using the many hedges lining the courtyard as a cover, Anya slipped onto the lift that would take her to the dormitories. Thankfully she was able to reach her room without running into any of her classmates, which was to be expected considering it was after midnight. Anya still let out a breath of relief when she had shut herself safely inside. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the rich mahogany door and took a moment to calm the erratic beating of her heart, a leftover symptom of the adrenaline rush caused by her forbidden activities.

Anya’s room at the academy was the same as all the others, ordinary. A perfect way to continue the act that she was just another student. The walls were painted a plain beige and were barren of any personal touches. The bed was the same, only donning cream sheets and a single pillow. Her desk was standard issue and had only the materials Anya needed for school: textbooks, pads of paper, and assorted writing utensils.

Onyx, who had been diligently following her, swooped in the open window and landed on her perch beside Anya’s bed. She gave the Raven an affectionate pet before shutting and locking the window up tight.

Knowing she only had six hours to sleep before she had to get up and get ready for class, Anya changed into her nightclothes before flopping down on the bed. Unfortunately, sleep did not come easily for her. It never had. When she was little Anya had suffered from severe night terrors and it was only her brother who could soothe her. He had always chased away the nightmares, so she was able to find rest.

Much to Anya’s relief, the night terrors and nightmares had become increasingly less frequent as she grew older, but most nights proved that sleep remained as elusive as ever. And since Ben was no longer around, she had to learn how to cope on her own. Letting her eye flutter closed, Anya took a deep breath and attempted to find peace. On impulse, she clutched at the bracelet on her left wrist. It was the one thing she possessed that even hinted at her true lineage. It was a simple silver chain, but the single charm on it donned the diadem that was the royal crest of Naboo. The same emblem that her grandmother, Padme Amidala had worn when she was queen.

Her mother had given her the bracelet when she was a young child and it had quickly become like a security blanket of sorts. Wearing it made her feel close to her family in a way that she hadn’t for much of her life. Eyes starting to feel heavy, Anya finally slipped into unconsciousness with her fingers clutching the charm and the steady beat of rain on the window.

~

_ The storms on Chandrila during the summer months were legendary. The normally mildly weathered planet was bombarded with monsoon-like rains and thunderstorms. Brilliant bolts of lightning streaked across the night sky, so bright that even the distant stars were temporarily invisible. Of course, with lightning came thunder and that was what four-year-old Anya Solo hated most of all. She was already awake, trembling in fear under the covers and entirely too afraid to move. The brightness that accompanied every flash of lightning illuminated her room, creating menacing looking shadows on the walls, and each rumble of thunder seemed to shake the very foundation of the house.  _

_ A particularly loud quake of thunder happened then and with a little shriek of terror, Anya threw off her blankets and bolted from the room. Completely blinded with fear Anya ran to the one person she knew would be there for her, since both her parents were not home as usual.  _

_ Her brother's room was dark, but Anya could see the faint outline of his body lying on the bed. Scurrying over to his side she desperately pushed at his arm as another bolt of lightning hit, followed by a deafening crackle of thunder.  _

_ His eyes flew open on a gasp and he sat up. "What-?" He broke off when his gaze settled on her. "Anya?"  _

_ "Ben," she sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks.  _

_ He rubbed at his eyes and blinked a few times. "What-what's happening? Is something wrong? Are you okay, baby?" _

_ Anya sniffled. "The storm." She said by way of explanation.  _

_ Understanding suddenly swept over his face and his eyes softened. "Oh, I see." He whispered, reaching out for her. Another clap of thunder reverberated through the room and Anya yelped again, practically jumping on top of her brother.  _

_ "Shhhh it's okay," he said, stroking her hair soothingly. "Come here." Ben pulled back his blankets and slid over in invitation. Anya scrambled into his bed without hesitation. In her haste she ended up kneeing her brother in the gut and elbowed him in the face. Ben grunted in pain but said nothing, knowing full well she was too frightened to realize what she was doing.  _

_ As it was, she finally settled practically burrowed  _ underneath  _ his body. Ben chuckled as he looked down at her, expression full of affection and mild amusement. "That can't be very comfortable."  _

_ Anya gazed up at him, only one eye visible because of her position. "It can't get me under here."  _

"It?"  _ He questioned, raising an eyebrow. _

_ "The thunder monster." _

_ Ben tried to hide a smile. "Oh, so that's your strategy. Hide under me so it gets me first, is that it? I see how it is." He tickled her side and Anya giggled, swatting playfully at him in her attempt to squirm away.  _

_ Just then, thunder sounded once more, shattering the playful moment. Anya let out a shrill scream and pressed her face into her brother's chest as she clung to him.  _

_ He stopped his teasing instantly, growing serious. "Alright, no more jokes. I'm sorry. It's okay, baby. You're alright."  _

_ "I'm so scared." She whimpered, her little heart beating a mile a minute.  _

_ "Don't be afraid, sweetheart. The thunder can't hurt you." Ben assured her.  _

_ "How do you know?" She sniffled, turning her head to gaze up at him with wide eyes. He smiled down at her and gently touched her cheek, the gesture full of tenderness and affection.  _

_ "Because it's just sound, angel. It's the sound the lightning makes." He told her.  _

_ "Then why doesn't it happen until after the lightning?" Anya wanted to know.  _

_ "Because," Ben said, scooting down so he was lying next to her. "Light is faster than sound. The sound has to catch up."  _

_ "Really?" Anya's eyes were full of wonder.  _

_ "Yes." Ben breathed, exhaustion settling on him. "So now you know...it can't hurt you."  _

_ "You promise?" Anya asked, reaching out with her little fingertips and tracing his face.  _

_ Her brother smiled at her. "Of course. And even if there was something out there that could hurt you, do you really think I would let anything happen to you?"  _

_ Anya shook. "No. You would protect me."  _

_ "Always." He whispered, leaning over to kiss her forehead.  _

_ Thunder crackled in the distance, and the pattering of rain intensified. The next round of storms must have been moving towards them. Anya tensed, but didn't cry out this time, trusting in what her brother told her. Ben pulled her close and snuggled her against him.  _

_ "Try to sleep now, baby." He whispered into her hair.  _

_ "Okay..." Anya murmured sleepily and in moments she had been lulled back into slumber by the steady beating of her brother's heart.  _

~

Across the galaxy aboard the _Finalizer,_ Kylo Ren’s eyes flew open and he bolted upright in his bed with a gasp.


	4. Chapter 3: A Sister's Devotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello wonderful readers! Thank you to everyone who left kudos, bookmarked, and commented on the last chapter! I hope you guys are continuing to enjoy this story and look forward to hearing what you think of this next chapter! 
> 
> Thank you so much to winglessone as always for her support and the wonderful moodboard! I also want to thank nancylovesreylo and shestoolazytologin for continuing to help me promote this fic! You ladies are absolute gems! 
> 
> Come say hi on Tumblr! @ArtemisRose727

_ Planet Chandrila, 20 ABY _

__

_ Anya’s terrible twos were…exhausting to say the least. The day she figured out how to run had filled Ben with joy. _

_ For the first twenty minutes. _

_ “Anya, please stop.” He called after her as she ran ahead of him. “For Force sakes…” It wasn’t like she was very fast, but he was still exhausted from chasing after her all day.  _

_ Up ahead, Anya giggled and turned back to watch him as he struggled across the sandy ground. “Of all the days to take you to the beach…” he grumbled. When he caught up to her Anya had plopped herself down in the surf and was playing with the water as the gentle waves lapped at the shore.  _

_ With a huff, he flopped down next to her, stretching his legs out so his feet were in the water. Cooing, Anya splashed around happily. Smiling down at her, Ben raised his hand and used the Force to make the water soar above her head in a great arc. Shrieking with delight, Anya stood up and reached up to grab at it. She let out an amused cry when some of the liquid fell out of formation and rained down on her head. An idea springing into his head, Ben twisted his wrist and the water swirled up into a funnel shape before he flexed his palm and it burst, falling down on them both in a deluge of droplets.  _

_ Anya’s laughter filled his ears and warmed his heart. “I try!” She exclaimed. Ben had to keep himself from laughing when his baby sister held her little hand out towards the water and scrunched her face in concentration.  _

_ He couldn’t help a small chuckle. “Why don’t we try something a little simpler first, peanut.” Ben reached over and lifted her up to settle her on his lap and then used the Force to summon a small pebble to his hand. Anya leaned into him and hummed. He kissed the top of her head.  _

_ “Now,” he started, placing the pebble on the sand in front of them. “Try and lift it.” _

_ Anya turned and looked up at him with uncertainty in her eyes. He smiled at her. “It’s alright, baby girl. You can do this. I’ll help you.” Ben placed his hand over hers and together they reached out towards the pebble. He could feel her trying to harness the Force and intentionally kept his influence minimal. After a few moments, the pebble started to shake and slowly rise, inch by inch.  _

_ “You’re doing it, Anya!” He exclaimed, heart swelling with pride. Anya levitated the stone there for a few more seconds before her hold broke and it fell to the ground.  _

_ She turned back to him with a huge grin plastered on her face and threw her arms around his neck. “I did it!”  _

_ “You did, sweetheart!” He replied,wrapping his arms around her. “And I’m so proud of you.” _

* * *

The Academy of Fellows, 35 ABY

When Anya woke the next morning the remnants of dried tears stained her cheeks. It was not the first time this had happened and she knew so long as her brother remained lost, it wouldn’t be the last. Rays of bright sunlight streamed through the windows of her room and Anya had to squint until her eyes adjusted to the light.

_ That was odd _ , she thought. There was rarely a sunny day during the wet season. It must just be a temporary reprieve between storm systems. Anya was just rolling out of bed when there was a sharp knock on the door.

“Come in.” Anya said, with a yawn. The door creaked open to reveal a pair of striking blue eyes and a mass of red hair that framed a pretty face with a faint spray of freckles that Anya had always likened to that of a porcelain doll. It was Devlin Ukran, Headmistress Serah’s apprentice and the only soul on campus Anya would consider a friend, even though Devlin was nearly eight years her senior and like everyone else on Sappho, did not know who she truly was.

“Hey, Dev,” she greeted, stretching her arms over her head. “To what do I owe the visit?”

“Your mother wants to see you in her office.”

“Oh?” Anya feigned shock. “At this hour? Whatever for, I wonder…” She sauntered over to her dresser and opened the top drawer, sifting through the mass of clothes for a fresh academy uniform.

Devlin shot her an unamused look. “Not even 8am and your sass level is already ridiculous.”

Anya grinned over her shoulder. “Oh, I’m just warming up. Check back with me at noon.”

The young woman snorted a laugh and walked over to the bed, flopping down. “I swear, I don’t know how you came out of Alba. You two are  _ nothing  _ alike.”

_ Oh, if only you knew, _ Anya thought, taking her uniform and ducking behind the privacy screen to change. “Well, genetics are funny, I suppose.” She said by way of response, slipping out of her sleep clothes and pulling the standard issue white and gold tunic over her head.

There were several beats of silence before Devlin said, “she knows, Anya.”

Anya froze in the middle of pulling up the matching golden academy slacks. “Wow, Dev, if you were any more vague, you could literally be talking about anything.”

“You know what I’m talking about.” Replied Devlin.

“No…I’m afraid I don’t.” Anya told her.

“Your mother knows you snuck out last night.”

Anya stiffened, and she was grateful the privacy screen prevented Devlin from seeing her reaction. “I didn’t sneak out last night.”

“Oh, save it, Anya,” Came Devlin’s reply. “One of the guards saw you walking in the corridors after midnight.”

Anya swore softly. “Oh, yeah. I was coming back from the kitchens. I got a bit hungry and wanted a little midnight snack, that’s all.” It was a crap story, she knew.

“That’s a load of rathtar dung.” Replied Devlin, entirely unconvinced. Anya wasn’t the least bit surprised and proceeded to say nothing to counter Devlin’s claim. It was, after all, the truth, and she had sworn long ago that she would never exercise the Force to compel anyone unless it was absolutely necessary.

This wasn’t necessary.

“Why did you do it, Anya?” Devlin asked after letting out an exasperated sigh. “What were you possibly thinking?”

_ Of my brother. That’s all I’ve been thinking about for ten years.  _ Anya yearned desperately to tell Devlin, but instead she said, “I needed to escape for a little while. I never get to leave this damn campus. It’s enough to make anyone stir crazy.”

Devlin said nothing for a long moment. Then she spoke, voice softer than before, “I’ll tell Alba you’ll be up shortly.”

A moment later, the door clicked shut and when Anya came out from behind the screen, Devlin was gone.

~

Headmistress Alba Serah’s office was located at the very heart of the school, at the top of one of the tallest suspended towers. By the time Anya made it up there it had started to rain again, the sound on the gold-plated roofs almost deafening. It was early enough that the halls were eerily barren. In fact, when Anya arrived at the thick oak door that marked the entrance to Alba’s private quarters she had not encountered a single soul.

Raising her hand, she knocked on the door.

“Enter.” Alba’s soft, yet stern voice floated from the other side of the door. Anya pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The headmistress was seated behind her large mahogany desk, delicate hands clasped in front of her, but she stood when the door closed behind Anya. Alba Serah was a tall, willowy woman with a long mane of silver hair and crystal blue eyes that seemed to penetrate the soul. Though she was not royalty, Anya always thought she held herself with the air of a queen; perhaps in the same way her grandmother, Padme Amidala, must have.

“You wished to see me.” Anya said by way of greeting.

“Yes,” replied Alba. “Please have a seat.”

She did, and the two proceeded to stare at each other for a long moment. Finally, Anya sighed. “So…what are we doing here? Should I talk first…? You talk first?”

“Why did you leave the school grounds last night?” Alba asked. “You know that is forbidden.”

For a moment Anya deliberated on whether she wanted to play the fool, but given the expression on Alba’s face she decided against that course of action.

“How did you find out?”

“One of the guards reported seeing you sneaking into the dormitories late last night.” Alba told her.

“Hm,” replied Anya, not offering up any more information.

Alba sighed. “You did not answer my question, Anya.  _ Why?” _

“You know why.” Anya murmured, averting her eyes. Alba said nothing for a long time, so Anya reluctantly continued. “I had to know…I had to know that they’re okay. I can’t…Alba, I  _ can’t  _ live like this anymore.” She didn’t see a point in hiding her feelings from Alba.. After all, the headmistress was the only one that knew the whole truth of the situation.

“I know, child.” Alba said softly, tone gentling. “But you also know why you must be kept in the dark about all this. It is not to be cruel. I do not enjoy keeping you caged up in the school, but I promised your mother I would take care of you. It is for your own protection.”

“It isn’t fair.” Anya knew she sounded like a petulant child, but she couldn’t help it.

“I know.” Conceded Alba. “I wish things could be different, but they can’t.”

“If I could just  _ talk  _ to my mother, maybe-”

“No.” Alba’s voice was firm. “You are to have no contact with them. That was your parents’ orders to keep you safe.”

“I’m almost eighteen! How long do they expect me to sit here like a child?” Anya cried, exasperated.

“Until it’s safe.” Alba said.

“Safe?” Anya scoffed. “It will never be safe.” She didn’t even try to hide the bitterness in her voice.

“Then I suppose you’ll be here a while yet.” Replied Alba, softly.

Anya said nothing in response and after a moment, Alba sighed. “I am sorry, my dear. I wish there was something I could do.”

“Me too.” Replied Anya, feeling broken inside. 

“Just promise…promise me you won’t go into Jejune again without permission?” Alba pressed, looking at Anya imploringly.

“Sure.” She lied. “I promise.”

~

When she got back to her room later that day, Anya immediately ducked under her bed and pulled out the small box she kept hidden in the loose floorboard there. Opening the lid, she reached inside and removed the three small pieces of paper that were the box’s only contents.

The first two were pictures. One was a family portrait (one of the only ones the Solo’s had ever done). Anya’s gaze roved over it, eyes lingering briefly on her parent’s smiling faces. She had been a toddler at the time and was sitting on her father’s shoulders, a huge grin on her face. Ben, always more reserved, stood between their mother and father, a comparatively softer smile gracing his features.

The second picture was just of her and Ben. It was shortly before she was sent to the Academy and he left to start training with Luke; one of the last times he took her down to the beach on Chandrila. Anya didn’t remember who had taken the picture, but she didn’t very much care as she focused on her brother’s face and felt tears stinging in the corner of her eyes. He had squatted down in the sand next to her and had his arms wrapped around her entire body. His face was pressed into her hair so half of it was obscured as they both smiled at the camera. He looked so young and so at ease, but Anya remembered the darkness that lurked beneath the surface. The darkness that would inevitably rip him from her, but she had only begun to pick up on its presence shortly before…and then it was too late.

***

_ “Ben?” Little Anya Solo approached her brother where she had found him sitting by the water. He had left dinner abruptly and Anya knew something was wrong. Truthfully, she had sensed something was off for weeks now, but being seven years old meant she wasn’t entirely sure how to handle it. _

_ Ben looked over from where he had been staring out across the vast sea. “Oh, hi, peanut. What are you doing out here?” _

_ “I came to see what’s wrong. You left and didn’t say anything.” She said, coming to stand in front of him and shifting on her feet. _

_ “I’m fine, baby girl.” _

_ “No, you’re not!” Anya snapped. “Stop lying.” She was tired of him brushing off her concerns because she knew something wasn’t right. Ben’s eyes widened in surprise when she raised her voice. _

_ “It’s not your burden to bear, sweetheart.” He conceded. _

_ “I’m not a baby anymore, Ben,” she continued. “I know something is bothering you. Tell me so I can help. Please…I don’t like seeing you so sad.” _

_ Ben stared at her for a long moment before nodding and patting the spot next to him, inviting her to sit. Anya smiled and seated herself on the sand beside him, leaning into the familiar, solid warmth of her brother’s body. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tugging her tightly to his side. _

_ “Do you remember,” Ben started, nuzzling into her hair and taking a deep breath. “When I told you how there are two sides of the Force?” _

_ “Yes.” Replied Anya. “The light side and the dark side. We’re on the light side! Like the good guys.” _

_ “Yeah,” he whispered. “Except…I’m not so sure I’m a good guy.” _

_ Anya looked at her brother, confused. Her little brows scrunched up in concentration as she tried to understand what he was trying to communicate. “What do you mean?” _

_ He sighed and reached out, gathering her into his arms. Anya let him gently guide her head and press it to his chest. She curled up in his lap and closed her eyes, content. _

_ “I feel…a darkness, Anya. It’s trying to get to me…to turn my heart. And I don’t know what to do, because fighting it…it’s exhausting me, sweetheart.” He drew a weary breath. “I’m trying so hard, but I feel helpless. Like all my efforts are in vain.” There was a pause and then he added, “I’m scared.” _

_ Anya stiffened. Her brother was never scared. And because of that, she knew that this must be serious. _

_ “Don’t be scared, Ben,” she said, clamoring up in his lap so they were eye level. “I won’t let the darkness get you.” Then she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him as tightly as she could. It was the only thing Anya could think to do to make him feel better. Whenever she was scared or sad, Ben would hold her, so now she figured it was her turn to hold and comfort him. _

_ His arms wound around her, holding her close. “Thank you, angel.” _

_ “Is there anything I can do right now though?” She asked, voice muffled against his shoulder. “I wish I could help.” _

_ Ben’s hand stroked her back and he turned his head to rest in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. “You just did, sweetheart. You just did.” _

_ “I love you, Ben. No matter what.” Anya whispered. _

_ “As I love you.” He replied, simply. _

_ They stayed like that for a long time, until the sun had almost completely disappeared beyond the horizon and it got too cold to sit outside anymore. Anya began to shiver, and so Ben scooped her up and carried her back into the house. _

__ ***

Slipping out of her memory, Anya placed the photograph down on the floor and removed the final piece of paper from the box. It was a letter from Ben that she had received shortly after they had been separated. With a heavy heart, Anya’s eyes roved over the familiar words that she had read countless times. 

_ My dearest Anya, _

__

_ By now you are probably settled in at the school. I won’t waste time saying how I hope you’re doing alright, because I know that this is hard for both of us. I miss you more than you could ever know. There are no words to express how much I wish I could be with you. _

_ But you know as well as I do why that cannot be…at least for a little while, until I’ve gotten this darkness under control. I’ve been with Uncle Luke for a month now and he has me in a very intense training regimen. I know that he is just trying to help, but there are days when I feel so unhinged because he watches me like I’m a bomb about to explode at any second. Don’t worry though, sweetie. I am holding on, and will fight this to the end, especially since it means I can see you again. _

_ In the meanwhile, I need you to stay strong, peanut. Stay strong, be good, and don’t ever lose sight of who you are and what’s important. _

_ Most of all, though, don’t ever forget how much I love you. _

__

_ I’ll see you soon, angel. I promise. _

__

_ All my love, _

__

_ Your devoted brother, Ben _

__

Of course, they hadn’t seen each other again. In fact, the letter was the last time Anya had heard from her brother. Tears streamed openly down her face as she stared at the cracked and wrinkled piece of parchment in her hands, worn from the hundreds of times she had folded and unfolded it. Choking on a sob, Anya brought the letter to her chest and pressed it against her heart as if she could somehow put enough pressure on the gaping hole in her heart to heal it.

“Oh, Ben,” she whispered to nothing. “What am I going to do?”

Onyx cawed softly and swooped down to land on the floor, right next to the picture of her and Ben. Anya sniffled and picked it up once more, bringing her other hand up to touch the image of her brother, his face becoming blurry as her eyes filled with more tears.

“I can’t do this anymore, Ben,” she sobbed. “I’ve tried…I’ve tried so hard to be strong like you said to be, but I can’t. I  _ need _ you. I miss you so much, but I don’t know how to get you back. What could I possibly do when no one listens to me?”

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. It was so simple, but somehow she hadn’t seen it before. Perhaps it was because she had never voiced it out loud, instead keeping her feelings bottled deep inside herself and outwardly presenting high levels of sass and sarcasm like a true Solo.

“That’s it.” She murmured, wiping the tears from her eyes. Nyx cawed questioningly and Anya looked over to her raven, excitement bubbling up. “How have I not thought of this before now? All this time I’ve been worrying about convincing someone to let me do something, but I don’t need permission.”

Anya got to her feet, mind going a mile a minute. “I have been waiting around for  _ ten years  _ because that’s what everyone told me to do. Well, I’m done waiting. They’ve had a decade to bring Ben back, but failed. Now, I’m taking matters into my own hands.”

She would go to her brother and bring him home. And she was going to let nothing stand in her way.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun! So, Anya has made the ultimate choice. She's taking charge and handling things herself! I would love to hear peoples' thoughts on what is gonna happen next! Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 4: Leap of Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers! Here is the next chapter. This one is quite long so hopefully that makes up for the last one being on the shorter side. Things certainly pick up as far as the plot goes so I would love to hear what you think! 
> 
> Thank you as always to my dear friend winglessone for this chapter's moodboard and for being so wonderful! Also, thanks to nancylovesreylo and everyone else who has been continuing to support this fic! I appreciate it more than you know! 
> 
> Without further ado...I give you chapter 4! Enjoy!

_ Planet Chandrila, 21 ABY _

_ Ben Solo woke to the sound of blood curdling screams.  _

_ Throwing off the covers, he sprang from his bed and bolted down the hall to Anya’s room. Bursting through her door, Ben came to a crashing halt when he saw his little sister sitting upright in her bed, eyes open and screaming in absolute terror.  _

_ “Anya!” He cried out, surging forward to her side. “Anya, what’s wrong?”  _

_ To his absolute horror she didn’t respond, instead just continuing to scream and stare unseeing into the dark room.  _

_ Ben grabbed her by the shoulders and gently shook her, desperate. “Anya, it’s okay! It’s me, I’m here, baby!”  _

_ When neither his voice nor his touch got through to her and she began to thrash wildly, Ben really panicked.  _

_ “Mom!” He screamed, suddenly feeling like a helpless little boy himself.  _

_ “I’m here.” Came her voice, and the sound of it sent relief surging through him. It was the sort of relief that only a mother’s presence could provide.  _

_ Ben spun around to see his mother as she rushed into the room. “Mom, something is wrong with her-” he broke off when their mother leaned over to inspect Anya, eyes searching her daughter’s face.  _

_ “Ben, turn on the light please.” She instructed and he quickly obeyed, coming back to stand a few feet behind his mother, anxiously waiting.  _

_ Anya was still screaming, but miraculously, Leia had gotten her to lie back so when she thrashed she no longer ran the risk of hurting herself. Their mother was now sitting on the side of the bed and was gently stroking Anya’s hair as she fitfully whipped her head back and forth.  _

_ “Shhhh…” she was saying. “It’s alright, sweet girl. Momma’s here. You’re alright. Wake up, baby.”  _

_ It seemed to go on forever but gradually, Anya’s screaming quieted. However, she was still restless and kept letting out little whimpers. Ben shifted on his feet nervously. “Why won’t she wake up? What’s wrong with her?”  _

_ “She’s having a night terror, sweetheart. It’s like a really bad nightmare. She’s completely unaware of what’s going on and she won’t remember it happening.”  _

_ “But she’ll be okay, right?” He asked, anxiously.  _

_ His mother smiled at him and patted the spot next to her on the bed. He sat and she put her arm around him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “She’ll be just fine, love.” _

_ Ben leaned into his mother’s embrace and she rubbed his arm soothingly, her other hand still stroking Anya’s face.  _

_ “You must be tired, sweetie. Why don’t you go back to bed? I’ll stay here with her.” Leia suggested.  _

_ “I don’t want to leave her.” He whispered. Anya had quieted even more now and was only letting out the occasional whimper.  _

_ His mother nodded. “I know. Why don’t you at least lay down then. I want to make sure both of my babies get their sleep.”  _

_ Ben grinned and gladly obliged, since he was actually very tired. Carefully, so as to not disturb her, he stretched out next to his sister. Slinging an arm over her abdomen he pressed a kiss to her temple before resting his head next to hers on the pillow.  _

_ As if sensing his presence, Anya calmed further and snuggled in close. Ben smiled. _

_ It didn’t take long for him to doze off, with his baby sister warm in his arms and his mother softly brushing her fingers across his forehead. _

* * *

The Academy of Fellows, 35 ABY

Making the plan to steal a transport, fly to her brother and confront him was one thing, but actually executing the said plan was something else entirely. Anya snuck into the Academy’s flight hanger easily enough, as she had become quite adept at moving about undetected (well, except for the previous night of course).

However, as she crouched down in the shadows with a small, packed satchel slung over her shoulder and eyed the two dozen or so transports, Anya started to doubt her plan. The entire hanger was bathed in bright fluorescent lights and she knew that guards were posted there constantly. It seemed to her that the only option she had was to sneak up on the guards who were on duty and compel them with the Force to let her leave with one of the transports. Even then though, it was risky. Anya had never attempted to exercise mind control on more than one person at a time.

“Need some help?”

Anya jumped, and spun around at the new voice. She was startled to see Devlin standing there, giving her an amused look.

“Devlin,” she started, holding up her hands imploringly. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“Oh, I see.” Replied the red head, raising an eyebrow skeptically. “So, you’re not about to disobey Alba and break every school rule in the book by stealing a transport and running away?”

“Well, not  _ run  _ away,” Anya corrected her. “But fly away, yes.”

Devlin rolled her eyes. “I swear Anya, I don’t know how much attitude can fit into such a tiny body.”

Ignoring this, Anya got right to the point. “I suppose you are going to try and stop me now.” It wasn’t a question. “I’m sorry, Devlin, but I can’t allow that. I know you could never understand, but I need to go.”

“I know,” was Devlin’s reply. “You do need to go.” Anya’s eyes widened in shock as that was the last thing she had expected her friend to say.

Anya opened her mouth, then closed it, unsure of what to say.

Devlin chuckled. “Wow, I’ve rendered Princess Anya Solo speechless.”

_ Correction,  _ Anya thought.  _ That was the last thing she had expected her to say.  _ “Wh-what are you talking about?”

Devlin raised a brow. “I know who you are, daughter of Han Solo and Leia Organa Skywalker.”

“How can you possibly know that?” Anya breathed, still in shock.

“That’s not important.” Replied Devlin. “What is important is that you know I am still your friend and I’m here to help.”

Ice started to creep into Anya’s veins. She was automatically wary of anyone who knew the truth about her family…even if they were a friend. “How do I know I can really trust you?” She asked.

“I have nothing to offer aside from my word as a friend.” Replied Devlin. “You trusted me before you knew I was aware of the truth about your parentage. Why would knowing change anything?”

_ It wouldn’t. It didn’t.  _ Anya slowly relaxed, lowering her guard. “Alright,” she said. “What’s the plan?”

Devlin smiled. “Let’s get you on a ship.”

***

At the next guard change they made their move. Devlin explained that they would have a ten-minute window to get in a ship, prime the engines, and take off from the hanger. Despite this, they still had to be discrete to avoid detection on the cameras situated around the perimeter.

Since she had the clearance to be there and therefore wouldn’t get in trouble if caught, Devlin went in ahead to scout a clear path. Anya stuck to the sidelines, slowly creeping beneath the undersides of some of the larger ships, making her way towards the collection of smaller transports. Nyx was forced to stay perched on Anya’s shoulder because if she was spotted flying, it would give them away.

Anya paused when she reached her transport of choice. It was the smallest model; modest and light, making it easy to maneuver. She looked over to Devlin, who nodded in confirmation. Not wasting a second, Anya sprinted on board. Casting her bag to the side, Anya threw herself into the pilot’s seat and began priming the ship for take-off. Almost as soon as the engines thrummed to life, alarms from outside started blaring.

“Kriffing hell!” Anya swore, lighting a fire under her movements. She really hoped Devlin would hurry and get on board.

As if on cue a holo message popped up and Anya yelped in surprise when Devlin’s face appeared in front of hers. “What are you waiting for?” The fiery redhead demanded.

“You!” Anya shouted. “What the hell are you still doing out there?”

“Buying you time!” Came the frantic reply.

“You’re not coming with me?” Anya started to panic.

“No, you need to do this alone. I’ll be of more help here. Now, get going! Find your brother. You’re the galaxy’s last hope.”

With that, the holo shut off abruptly and Anya was left gaping for a second. She was fairly certain she had never told Devlin she was going to Ben. And the galaxy’s last hope? No, that couldn’t be her…

Stomping footsteps and yelling from outside snapped her out of her reverie. Anya quickly hit the button that would close the exterior doors and threw the transport into gear. The craft rose off the ground, hovering there for a moment before she flung the thrusters forward and the ship took off. Nyx let out an offended caw and Anya’s body was pressed back against the seat as they cleared the flight hanger and then they were soaring up, up, up, past the academy walls, leaving the city of Jejune behind. Only when the entire planet of Sappho was nothing more than a speck and the blackness of space surrounded them, did Anya let herself relax slightly. With fingers shaking from leftover adrenaline, Anya switched on autopilot and then entered in the coordinates Devlin had given her while they had waited for their opening. How her friend knew the location of the First Order’s flagship was a mystery, but as Devlin had said, it hadn’t been the time to ask questions.

This was a need to know basis, and at this point Anya didn’t need to know. The ETA for the coordinates was just over two hours. With nothing else left to do, Anya sat back in her seat and prayed that Devlin’s information was correct and could be trusted.

Either way, in less than three hours Anya was going to be dead or she would be with her brother. There was nothing more to do than wait and see which one it was going to be.

~

Resistance Base, Planet Frell

Rey was still fuming hours later. In her rage she had stormed blindly into the woods, not stopping until she had put a good deal of distance between her and the rebel camp, and came to a clearing at the edge of a river. Lacking anything better to do, she had begun to train.

Sweat coursed down her arms and ran into her eyes. Her cloak hung from a tree branch nearby, and her tunic was damp. The bow-staff borrowed from the rebel’s armory was inferior to her lightsaber, and it just served to make her angrier.

How could those stupid, kriffing traitors just show up here  _ weeks  _ after they ignored their plea for help and expect to be welcomed with open arms? As if they hadn’t essentially condemned the Resistance to death? Did they have any idea of how many lives could have been saved if they had just answered the call? She knew the likely answer, of course. They knew. Which meant they either didn’t care or were cowards.

Rey let out a feral snarl of frustration and hurled the pathetic excuse for a weapon across the clearing. The staff hit the rocks and smashed, fragmenting into hundreds of wooden slivers.

Rey stood there, panting, as the pieces of wood tinkled around her like rain.

“There’s just no replacement for a saber,” said a husky female voice.

Rey turned sharply. General Organa was standing at the edge of the clearing, her hands folded neatly in front of her. She still wore the heavy black cloak of mourning.

“I- I didn’t hear you,” Rey said to mask her discomfort that the general had seen her lose her temper.

“I can make myself silent when needed,” said General Organa mysteriously, a twinkle in her eye. Rey was reminded that Leia, too, was attuned to the Force. The general cleared her throat. “What’s wrong, dear?”

Rey shrugged and bent down to pick up the largest remnant of the staff. “I guess I just feel sort of useless here. Like, I can’t do anything to help…” It was only part of the truth, but Rey certainly wasn’t about to tell Leia everything.

The general raised an eyebrow, giving her an incredulous look. “You’re helping plenty, Rey. Let’s just agree to be honest with each other and stop pretending that is all that’s bothering you.”

Rey sighed in defeat. Nothing got past Leia. “You’re right.”

There was a moment of silence before the general said, “you disagree with how I’ve welcomed our friends from the outer rim.”

“They aren’t our friends,” Rey muttered, not even trying to hide the obvious bitterness in her tone. “Friends don’t abandon friends in their hour of need.”

Leia nodded. “I know. I understand your anger,” she conceded. “But you know how much we need allies. As hard as it is, we must be cordial to them and most of all, be  _ grateful  _ that they are here now.”

“You sound like Poe.” Rey stated.

“I had a very similar conversation with him earlier.” Leia admitted with a soft chuckle. There was a lengthy, slightly awkward pause before Leia added, “frankly, Rey, you’re no good to me in your current state. Since my brother’s lightsaber was broken…” General Organa stopped. For the first time, her stern resolve wavered.

“I- I’m sorry,” Rey offered. “About Luke. He was…I miss him, too.”

General Organa nodded, but didn’t smile. “You need a new saber.”

“I know,” said Rey. “But we can’t just pull one out of the armory.”

“No. You need a new Kyber crystal.” Said Leia.

Rey frowned. “I don’t suppose Frell has any of those lying around in the woods?”

The general shook her head. “The planet Jedha is the only known source of Kyber crystals. I’m sending you and Chewie to get the pieces you need.”

Rey nodded, pausing for a moment before saying. “I’d like Finn with me too.”

Now Leia shook her head. “Normally I wouldn’t have a problem with that, but I need Finn and Poe for another mission.”

Interest piqued, Rey tilted her head in question. “What mission is that?”

“Search and rescue,” replied Leia. “I just recently received word that my daughter has gone missing.”

***

“You have a daughter?!” Poe’s mouth was agape and his face reflected the same shock Rey had felt earlier that day when Leia dropped the same bomb on her. The reality of it still hadn’t quite sunk in.

Han and Leia had a second child.

There was another Solo.

Ky- _ Ben  _ had a sister.

“How the hell did you forget to mention you had another kid?” Poe was asking, still completely stunned.

Leia sighed. “I did not forget, Poe. It was intentional. Anya was tucked away in secret for her own protection when the First Order rose to power.”

“She’s not…” Started Finn, hesitantly. “She’s not like…like  _ him,  _ is she?” He sounded nervous and there was no doubt of to whom he was referring.

“Finn!” Rose hissed. She had woken up a few days before and was just now taking short trips out of the infirmary to get her body used to moving around again.

“What?” He asked. “I’m sorry, but we’re all thinking it.”

No one spoke, neither confirming nor contesting his claim.

“Anya was sent to the academy when she was seven years old,” Leia explained, calmly. “She hasn’t seen Be-her brother in ten years.”

“Good. Better for her.” Poe stated.

“That’s kind of sad, actually.” Said Rose. “If Paige was still here, I couldn’t imagine being separated from her for that long. Though…we were very close. I don’t know if they were…”

“They were inseparable.” Whispered Leia, so softly that Rey was sure she was the only one who had heard her. Sure enough, none of the others reacted to the general’s statement.

“This is Kylo Ren we are talking about,” Said Poe. “It was definitely safer for the princess to be as far away from him as possible. Who knows what he would do to her.”

“She’s his sister. You don’t think he would hurt her?” Rose sounded concerned.

“The guy killed his own f–” Poe caught himself and shot a sideways glance to Leia, but the general didn’t even seem to be paying attention anymore. She was staring off into space, seemingly lost in thought.

“Gener–Leia?” started Poe, gently prodding for her attention. Leia turned, focus returning to her expression. “Yes, sorry.”

“How do we find Anya?”

“There’s a tracker in her bracelet and I have the accompanying piece right here.” She held up a small, round tracking device. “Once you’ve taken off, flip it on and it will tell you where she is.” 

“Okay,” nodded Poe. “Straight forward enough. Last question, what ship are we taking? Our options are a little bit restrictive in that department.”

“Captain Jade Walker has agreed to take you on her ship, the  _ Firebird.”  _ Explained Leia. When Poe frowned, she asked, “you’ve met her?”

“I have had the… _ displeasure  _ of her company.” Poe replied.

“Well, I expect you to put any differences aside for my daughter’s sake. I’m counting on you all. Find her, please.” Rey was surprised when Leia choked up at the end.

“You can count on us, General.” Poe assured her.

***

Less than a half an hour later, Rey walked over to see her friends off. A medium sized, bronze colored craft perched in the middle of the cleared field the Resistance was using as a make-shift flight deck and landing strip. The only person Rey could see was a woman wiping down the belly of the ship with a dingy looking rag.

Rey looked her over as she approached. She was older than Rey, perhaps early thirties, with dirty blonde hair in a thick braid and gray eyes. Tattoos circled her wrists in a series of dashes - an alien script perhaps? Another tattoo peaked over the collar of her tunic. She was tall, body lean and in excellent physical condition.

She wiped her hands on a rag and slung it over her shoulder. There was something calculating in her gaze as she looked Rey over. 

“I’ve been hoping for an opportunity to meet you,” the woman said. “They’re calling you ‘the last Jedi.’ Quite the apocryphal title.”

“I prefer Rey,” she said simply.

The woman’s mouth twitched in a smile. She stuck out her hand. “Jade.”

The introduction completed, Rey felt suddenly awkward. “Is this your ship?” She asked, gesturing to the bronzed vessel beside them.

Jade looked at the ship, running a hand along its belly in a proprietorial way. “Yep. This is the  _ Firebird _ . We’ve been through hell and back.” 

“And now you’re going to get the princess.”

There must have been something in Rey’s tone, perhaps a shred of uncertainty or doubt, because Jade gave her another long look. She seemed to be pondering something. “No matter what that walking trash receptacle claims, I am the best pilot in the resistance. I will take good care of your people.”

“Oh! That’s not what I - I wasn’t suggesting–” Rey’s face flushed with embarrassment. She stopped and smiled. “Thank you for helping us, I mean.”

Jade nodded.

“Were you referring to Poe just now?”

The older woman’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “See? You knew just who I meant.”

“Rey!” Finn suddenly appeared, tackling Rey with a hug. “What are you doing here?” Rey returned her friend’s embrace, smiling. “You didn’t think I was going to let you leave without coming to say goodbye, did you?”

“I see you’ve met our chauffeur.” Said Poe by way of greeting, pushing past an incredulous looking Jade with bags in his arms and a smirk on his face.

“Where’s Rose?” Rey asked Finn, ignoring the silent, tense exchange between the two egotistical pilots.

Finn frowned. “She wasn’t feeling well, so she had to go lie down.”

Rey put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “She’s getting much better. It won’t be long now before she is completely recovered.”

“I know.” He gave her a half-hearted smile.

“Alright, people, let’s get going. We have no idea where we’re heading or how long it’ll take to get there.” Poe said, reappearing amongst the group.

“You don’t give orders around here, Dameron.” Jade snapped.

Poe narrowed his eyes at her. “Leia put me in charge of this mission.”

“My ship, my rules, flyboy.” Captain Jade shot back. “Now, everyone on board. We have a princess to find.” She turned to Rey briefly and said, “it was nice meeting you, Rey.” With that, Captain Jade Walker boarded her ship, leaving the three of them staring after her. 

Poe huffed in irritation.

“Hey,” Rey got his attention. “We need allies. She’s a good one.”

He cracked a reluctant smile. “No fair using my words against me, Force girl.” Then he playfully shoved her shoulder. “I’ll see you around.” Poe ran up the ramp and into the  _ Firebird,  _ BB-8 hot on his heels.

When it was just her and Finn, Rey said, “good luck with those two.”

Finn groaned in exasperation. “Yeah, thanks.” He paused before adding, “I wish you were going with us.”

“Me too,” Rey admitted glumly. “But Leia is right. I need a new saber, and for that I’ll need a new Kyber crystal.”

He nodded. “I know. Take care of yourself, okay?”

“I will.”

“Finn! Let’s go, buddy!” Poe called.

“You better go.” Rey told him with a chuckle.

Finn gave her one last hug before sprinting away and boarding the ship. It took off quickly, soaring off into the atmosphere. Rey watched the  _ Firebird  _ until it disappeared entirely from view, vanishing into hyperspace.

~

Captain Jade Walker did not normally take on escort missions. She and her ship  _ The Firebird _ were the toughest in the resistance. They had pulled off twenty-four suicide runs in the last year – more than any other ship. Of pilots, none were better than Captain Jade herself, except for Han Solo of course. Jade had heard that the young Jedi, Rey, was something of a pilot too, and was disappointed that she wasn’t coming on this run.

Jade frowned. It wasn’t even a run. She was babysitting resistance younglings. She knew they were important resistance types, and General Organa trusted her, but all the same…

_ All the same, did Poe Dameron really have to come? _ Jade glanced behind her, to where her two charges and their droid were sitting.

Poe, carelessly handsome with his dark hair (Jade thought he looked less handsome now. The past few weeks had produced a change in him. He was paler, thinner, and more serious around the eyes and mouth). At his feet the droid BB8, freshly painted and chirping happily. Across from him was the Stormtrooper (Ex-Stormtrooper, Jade reminded herself) Finn, fiddling with the tracker Leia had given them to find Princess Anya.

“Uh…Poe?” Finn said then, his brow furrowing.

Poe Dameron looked up and frowned. “What? Don’t tell me something’s wrong. We literally just got off the ground.”

“Something’s wrong,” Finn said with a sigh. “The tracker isn’t working.” He held it up. Poe swore and stood up, walking over to his companion.

“What do you mean it’s not working?” He demanded, snatching it up and examining the device himself.

“What part of  _ not working  _ do you not understand?”

Poe swore again. “It won’t connect to the princess’s bracelet. Worthless piece of outdated junk!” He threw it down on the seat next to Finn in frustration.

“Did you try turning it off and then back on?” Jade jeered, unable to help herself.

Poe Dameron gave her a withering look. Finn just looked confused. “What? What would that do?” He asked Poe, who just waved him off.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not working and we need a plan B.” Poe stated, clearly thinking very hard.

“Should we turn back?” Asked Finn.

“No, that would be pointless.” Replied Poe. “Leia doesn’t just have another tracker laying around…”

“I say we press forward.” Chimed Jade. “Go to Sappho.”

"The princess ran away. She’s not in Jejune.” Finn said, stating the obvious.

“I’m well aware of that,” Jade replied. “But that headmistress Leia was going on about might have an idea of where she might have gone.”

Poe snapped his fingers. “Alba Serah. I think you’re onto something, Captain Walker.”

Jade rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to sound so surprised.”

“Well, what are we waiting for then?” Inquired Finn. “Let’s go!”

“Inputting coordinates for Sappho now,” Jade said. “ETA is 7 hours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so there you have it! Anya is off to find Ben and Leia has sent a search and rescue crew after her wayward daughter! I would love to know everyone's thoughts about what is gonna happen next! Do you think Anya will get to Ben before the search party finds her? If she does, how will he receive her after all these years? What do you think the deal is with Devlin and what's Jade's story! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading again and comments are always appreciated!


	6. Chapter 5: Thicker Than Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello dear readers! I'll make this note short and sweet, since I am sure you are eager to dive into this chapter as this is one of the moments we have been waiting for! 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of this story! Special shout out to winglessone for the beautiful moodboard, in addition to nancylovesreylo, shestoolazytologin, and lilyevansreyjakku. 
> 
> I am super happy with how this chapter turns out and I hope you guys like it too! Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments; they make my day and encourage me to keep going. <3
> 
> P.S. Come say hi on tumblr @ArtemisRose727

_ Planet Chandrila, 22 ABY _

_ “Ben?” A small voice jerked seventeen year old Ben Solo from his thoughts. Looking up from the book of language studies in front of him, Ben was startled to see his little sister standing in the doorway. She was in her nightgown, dragging a blanket behind her and clutching her stuffed Favier.  _

_ “Anya, what are you doing out of bed?” He asked, brow furrowing in concern.  _

_ She shuffled forward, rubbing at her eyes. “I no feel good.”  _

_ That had him out of his chair in an instant, kneeling by her side and taking her face in his hands. “You feel sick?” _

_ Anya nodded. “I cold.”  _

_ He pressed his lips to her forehead to check for a temperature and recoiled in surprise. “Oh, sweetheart. You’re burning up.”  _

_ Anya sniffled and looked at him with glassy, tired eyes. Ben’s heart clenched at how miserable she was clearly feeling.  _

_ “Let’s get you to bed with a cold compress.”  _

_ He stood, lifting Anya into his arms with ease. She wrapped her little arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Ben could feel the abnormal amount of heat radiating from her skin. Stopping in the kitchen, he was careful not to jostle her too much when he reached into the icebox for a cold pack.  _

_ By the time he made it back to Anya’s room she had gone completely limp in his arms. Ever so carefully, Ben gently deposited her in bed, tucking the covers up around her and laying the cold pack on her forehead. Anya blinked up at him sleepily.  _

_ “I feel icky.” She whimpered, eyes brimming with tears.  _

_ “I know, sweetie. I know.” He replied, brushing her tears away with his thumb.  _

_ “Just try to get some rest. I’m sure you’ll feel better in the morning.”  _

_ He stood to leave, but the next three words out of his sister’s mouth ground him to a halt. “Please don’t go.”  _

_ Ben turned back and the look on her face broke his heart along with what was left of his resolve to go back to studying. After all, she was ill and needed him.  _

_ “Okay.” He said, giving in to her like always. The bed was much too small for him so Ben was forced to settle on the floor next to it. His knees screamed at him in protest so he grabbed an extra pillow to sit on before situating himself so he could easily stroke her hair with one hand and rub her stomach with the other. Within seconds, Anya’s breathing changed and he knew she was asleep. Leaning over he pressed a soft kiss to her hairline so as to avoid the ice pack and then rested his head on the mattress next to where she lay. He would stay for a while longer to make sure she was in a deep sleep before going back to his room. _

_ The next morning, Ben woke to the feeling of his sister’s little hand gently petting his hair. His back and knees were killing him from being in the same, cramped position all night, but the smile gracing Anya’s face and the sheen of sweat on her skin seemed to make all the pain melt away, replaced readily by a wave of relief. The fever had broken and his baby sister was alright. That was all that mattered.  _

_ Everything else was inconsequential.  _

Deep Space, 35 ABY

__

As her tiny transport approached the looming hull of the First Order’s  _ Finalizer,  _ Anya felt the cold trickle of trepidation start to seep into her veins. Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea. The  _ Finalizer  _ was massive. What if she was just killed before she could even get to her brother? And even if she did reach him, what if he turned his back on her?

_ No.  _ Anya told herself, firmly. Ben would never let anything happen to her. She had to remember and believe that. Besides, she had a plan to stick to and it was going to work. It had to work. Steeling herself, Anya sent out the surrender signals (so that she hopefully wouldn’t simply be shot down immediately) and prepped the ship for landing. As she expected, once she was in range of the First Order sensors, they locked onto her and all the controls were wrenched from her grasp.

_ Well,  _ she thought.  _ No turning back now. _

In the final moments before she knew she would be taken into custody, Anya concealed her dagger inside her boot and secured her blaster to her hip. The latter she knew they would take from her, and that is what she wanted. It was all a part of the plan.

Finally, she glanced over to where Onyx was perched on the headrest of the copilot’s seat. “I need you to stay here, Nyx. I don’t know what to expect when I go in there, and the last thing I need is to worry about your safety.”

Nyx let out an unhappy caw.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Anya said, walking over and affectionately stroking Nyx’s head. The sleek black bird nuzzled her hand. “But it is for the best.”

Anya felt it the moment the transport touched down. She straightened and did a final sweep of the cabin to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. At the hiss of air that signified the exterior doors being opened, she cast one final look to Onyx. “Stay out of sight.” She ordered.

Nyx obeyed, taking off from her perch and disappearing to somewhere else on the ship. Letting out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding, Anya turned to face the squadron of four Stormtroopers that came charging inside, blasters raised.

“Hands in the air!” One shouted, coming in close and pointing the nozzle of his blaster directly at her face. She complied instantly, lifting her arms in surrender and turning her expression into that of the frightened and innocent school girl.

“Please don’t shoot,” she pleaded. “I come as a friend to the First Order, offering information.”

They paused for a moment, then the one who had his weapon turned on her spoke again. “Check her.”

A second trooper briskly patted her down, finding and removing only the blaster she left in plain sight. “She’s clean.” He said.

Then, Anya was being pushed in the back with another blaster’s muzzle as they started to roughly march her along. It took everything inside of her to not jerk her arm out of the Trooper’s painfully tight hold and instead keep up the façade of the terrified little girl, giving the occasional whimper to make it more believable.

When they emerged from the transport Anya was initially blinded by all the bright fluorescent lights of the landing deck. Once her eyes adjusted and she was able to take a better look at her surroundings, Anya found herself awestruck. It was massive. Dozens of TIE fighters lined the walls in rows and hundreds of Stormtroopers marched in formation.

_ And this was only one section of one ship.  _ Anya reminded herself, feeling suddenly helpless. The situation was even more dire than she had anticipated.

Anya had thought they were taking her to her brother, since he was the Supreme Leader, and so she was very confused when they stopped in the middle of the flight deck and threw her to the ground in front of a tall, skinny red-haired man. Anya hit the ground hard, letting out a grunt of pain before looking up. The man looming over her was unnaturally pale, which was of sharp contrast to his hair. His lips were curled down into a sneer as he gazed upon her, eyes cold and unkind.

Anya instantly disliked him.

“What is this?” He demanded, looking at Anya like she was something he scraped off the bottom of his boot.

“We don’t know, sir.” Replied one of the troopers. “She claims to have information.”

This seemed to pique the red-haired man’s interest. “Well? What is it?”

Anya scrambled to her feet, taking a moment to brush off her pant legs. “I wish to speak to the Supreme Leader.”

The man scoffed, which Anya figured was the closest thing to a laugh for him. “Our Supreme Leader is a busy man and hardly has the time for commoner scum such as yourself.”

_ Oh, if only he knew how wrong he was. _

“Trust me, he’ll want to hear this.” She told him.

He waved her off. “Whatever piece of information you are promising, you will tell me. And then if you’re lucky and I find it to be useful I won’t have you killed.”

Anya cast her eyes on his. “Perhaps I’ve not made myself clear. I will  _ only  _ speak to the Supreme Leader.”

“Just who do you think you are?” He said, voice full of disbelief.

_ You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. _

“Someone with leverage.” She replied.

The man’s nostrils flared angrily. “That’s where you are mistaken. We have ways of making you talk that will-”

“General Hux.”

Both their heads whipped around at the new, almost metallic sounding voice. A lone, darkly clad and masked figure marched towards them, powerful strides full of purpose. The hair on Anya’s arm stood up and butterflies started fluttering in the pit of her stomach. She  _ knew  _ that stride and that tall, broad silhouette.

The red-haired man, General Hux evidently, spun around and his eyes widened learly. “Supreme Leader,” He choked out, visibly flustered. “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”

“What is this?” Demanded Supreme Leader Kylo Ren…her brother, ignoring Hux’s evident surprise at seeing him. His voice was warped and mechanical sounding through the mask, but it was still  _ him.  _ Anya’s heart was pounding so loudly she could hear it in her ears.

“I-” Hux started, before clearing his throat and composing himself. “This  _ girl _ had the audacity to demand an audience with you. I was about to remind her that she has no right to address the First Order like such.”

“I see,” Replied the familiar, yet foreign man in front of them. Then that mask turned to look at her directly. Anya sucked in a breath as she waited on his reaction.

He went absolutely rigid.

She let out the breath. Had he recognized her? Surely, he had to have recognized her. Or perhaps he didn’t. It had been ten years after all, and she had changed a great deal from the seven-year-old girl he had last seen.

“And why would she want a meeting with me?” He continued. There was no alteration in voice and Anya started to wonder if she had merely imagined the change in his posture a moment previously.

Hux opened his mouth to answer, but Anya cut him off. “I have information about the Resistance, but I will only share it with you in a private setting.”

General Hux cast her a withering scowl and then turned his attention back to the Supreme Leader. “See? Such impertinence must be punished! We must make an example of her so that others will not begin to think they can make demands of the First Order.”

At this point, Anya had stopped listening to the general entirely. She could not tear her eyes away from her brother, and even though it was difficult to tell because of the mask, it seemed that he had not stopped staring at her too.

Anya tried to communicate as much as she could to him with her eyes, silently pleading.  _ Please. _

“Escort her to a holding cell and I will be there presently.” Kylo Ren said finally. Anya couldn’t help but shoot Hux a smug look and she probably found too much enjoyment in the way the general began to sputter in shock.

“I-but, sir-” he started to protest, only to suddenly collapse with a surprised yelp as if his legs had been knocked out from under him, hitting the ground with a painful sounding thud. Anya recognized that dark energy when her brother harnessed the Force to bring the general to his knees.

“I grow tired of your questioning me, Armitage,” her brother’s tone was low and deadly, his ire evident even through the mask. “This girl has come here of her own free will to offer something of value to the First Order. Such loyalty must be rewarded. Escort her to a holding cell and she will have her private audience.”

“Yes.  _ Supreme Leader. _ ” Hux ground out between clenched teeth.

“Oh, and General?”

“Sir?”

“She is not to be harmed. As I said, loyalty must be encouraged, so if I hear of you or one of your men harming a hair on her head I will personally see you are punished. Have I made myself clear?”

Hux was beet red and fuming. “Crystal.”

***

General Hux and two Stormtroopers escorted Anya through the halls of the  _ Finalizer  _ none too gently. Hux was certainly walking a fine line between not causing her harm, but still making her as uncomfortable as possible. Arms twisted behind her back painfully, Anya was forcibly marched along, being repeatedly jabbed in the shoulder by one of the Stormtrooper’s blasters.

Despite this, Anya was emboldened by how well her plan was going overall, so she decided to let the sass flow freely. “My, General, did anyone ever tell you that you have quite the charming way of treating guests? I do so love being toted about like a common prisoner.”

“Watch your mouth.” Hux spat. “You may have fooled our Supreme Leader with your story, but you don’t fool me. I see you for what you are.”

Anya chuckled. “Oh? And what’s that? Someone who could kick your ass?” It was bold to say, perhaps too bold, but Anya couldn’t help herself.

The general snarled, practically fuming. “Enough.” He growled, twisting her arm back even more. Anya held back a hiss of pain, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. She was about to open her mouth to pester him further when movement above them caught her eye. Anya’s gaze rose to settle upon a dark, looming figure standing on the metal bridge under which she and her little escort party were passing. The tall, broad form was clearly masculine, but Anya couldn’t see the man’s face because it was obscured by a mask. It looked very similar to Kylo Ren’s mask, all black leather and hard, silver lines; but unlike her brother’s it was almost feline in its design.

He watched her as a large, predatory cat might eye its prey, its massive body largely concealed by the shadows. However, she did spy a rather strange looking weapon hanging from his side. Anya could practically feel the intensity of his gaze even through the mask, but she didn’t waver once, continuing to stare right back at him until they passed completely under the bridge and her view was blocked. Right before she lost sight of the stranger, Anya could have sworn she saw his gloved hands clench into tight fists.

***

They walked for a few more minutes, taking her down another two or three levels (Anya couldn’t easily tell), before her captors unceremoniously and rather roughly shoved her into a small cell. Anya caught herself before she fell on her face and spun around to tell Hux off once more, but the door was already sliding shut with a low hiss and a lock slid into place with a resounding click.

Frowning, Anya scanned the room. Four dark metal walls. No windows. No furniture of any kind, save for a metal chair in the center of the room. There were straps attached to it, and a head brace. Anya’s mouth went dry as she realized what it must be used for in most situations.

She didn’t have much time to absorb any of it, because just then there was another hiss as the door slid open once more. Anya stumbled back a step as the entryway filled with the massive form of Kylo Ren…of her brother. He stepped inside and a moment later the door had shut, locking them in a room alone together for the first time in ten years.

For the longest time he just stared, motionless, and she stared right back, completely unsure of what to do. Anya had thought that the most difficult part of her mission was successfully getting to the First Order without being killed, but now she wasn’t so certain. Looking at the complete stranger that her brother had become, she felt uncomfortable in his presence for the first time in her life.

Shifting on her feet, she fought back the urge to cry.

“What are you doing here, Anya?” He said, finally speaking. It was not what she had been expecting him to say. The way the mechanics of his mask warped his voice still jolted her every time she heard it.

She let out a breath. “So, you do recognize me. I wasn’t sure earlier.”

The dark, looming figure of her brother said nothing in response. And because of that damned mask she couldn’t even see his facial expression.

Anya sighed. “I didn’t come all this way to speak to a mask.” 

For a moment he didn’t say or do anything, and Anya was about to try again, but then he brought his hands up to the sides of the mask. There was a click and a small hiss of air and then he lifted it off his head.

The very breath seized in Anya’s throat.

Because now, for the first time in a decade, she was looking upon the face of her brother once again. Except…he had changed. And not only in the sense that he was ten years older. There was a foreignness about him. He looked like her brother, but his eyes were all wrong. They were dark, detached, and cold. An angry looking scar now marred his handsome face, stretching from above his right eye and cutting down his cheek.

Neither one of them said anything for a long moment, and Anya hated how suddenly awkward she felt in his presence. The wrongness of it fed the growing lump in her throat; the same lump that completely paralyzed her vocal cords.

“What are you doing here?” He said again, breaching the silence when she made no move to do so herself.

“I-” Anya started, her voice cracking around the lump. She cleared her throat before trying again. “I came to find you.”

“Why?”

She blinked in surprise.  _ Surely…surely he had to know. _ “To-to bring you home, of course. I…I’ve missed you.” Anya’s voice broke and she felt the sting of tears in her eyes, threatening to spill over. It was all too much.

His eyes flickered at her words, lips parting slightly as he stared. Even through her blurry gaze, Anya immediately saw the shift in him. His eyes…suddenly she saw…

“Ben?” She choked out, and her legs _ finally _ moved for her. Then she was stumbling forward, closing the distance between them, nearly falling into him. His hands caught her shoulders, preventing her from hitting the ground, like always. Anya couldn’t bring herself to look at him for a moment, instead choosing to compose herself with her face turned towards the floor. He kept his hold on her with constant pressure, not releasing nor pulling her closer. They remained like that, frozen, for what felt like several minutes.

When she was ready, Anya drew in a deep breath and slowly looked up to meet her brother’s eyes. And he was her brother now, that much she knew. Or at least, he was more her brother than he had been when he’d first walked through the door. Gaze falling upon that scar once more, she reached up and lightly traced it with her fingertips. He stood so perfectly still that Anya wasn’t even sure if he was breathing.

“What happened?” She asked.

“Lightsaber.” Was his simple reply.

Anya shut her eyes and dropped her hand, feeling so many things at once she didn’t know what to do. Grief, joy, longing, loneliness, and fear. She wanted to throw her arms around him and hug him tight, and yet at the same time, she also wanted to scream at him, hit him, make him feel every bit of pain she had endured the past ten years.

“Are you at all happy to see me?” Anya whispered, afraid of his answer, but still needing to ask nonetheless.

“Of course, I am.” He responded without hesitation.

She let out a breath of relief, dropping her forehead to his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist, completely unable to bear being apart from him any longer. For several long, agonizing moments, he didn’t move, remaining stiff as a board as she held onto him. But then she felt his entire body shudder and suddenly his arms were around her,  _ finally  _ returning her embrace. Anya broke, the tears she had been holding back flowing freely now as she sobbed into her brother’s shirt. Ben’s grip tightened and he began to gently stroke her back.

“I’ve missed you so much.” She hiccupped, nuzzling into him. 

“I’ve missed you too.” Ben replied, his voice hoarse. 

For a long moment neither of them said anything, just standing there wrapped in each other’s arms. Anya was perfectly content to stay there as she pressed her face into his chest and inhaled deeply. He smelled of metal and smoke, but underneath it all he was still Ben. He was still her brother. 

“Please come home,” Anya started finally, seeing her opening since he had softened. “It’s time. Leave all this behind and come back with me.”

Ben went rigid. “Anya-” She squeezed him harder, but he continued. “I can’t.”

She pulled back and looked at him with teary eyes. “Why? Ben…”

“That’s not who I am anymore.” He said, expression suddenly hardening once more. Anya frowned, looking at him in disbelief. “What are you talking about? Ben, please…”

“No, Anya.” His tone turned harsh and she recoiled sharply. “I’m not leaving. It’s too late, but you…you shouldn’t be here.”

“Ben-” She grabbed at his arm, desperate, pleading. “I’m  _ not  _ leaving without you. Please…I  _ can’t  _ lose you again.”

“Go home, Anya. You shouldn’t have come.”

“You aren’t my brother…” Anya said in disbelief, slowly backing away from him.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Anya,” he replied, tone flat and unconvincing. “Of course I am.”

“No…you’re not Ben. He would  _ never  _ turn me away.”

Kylo Ren just looked on at her, face once more an emotionless mask. “I’m sorry.” He said, throat working and lips trembling almost imperceptivity.

Anya shook her head back and forth, the fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. “I don’t want your apologies!” She snapped. “I want  _ you  _ back! I want my brother back. I want my Ben…”

“Ben is gone.” He said, voice hard and unyielding. “It’s best to make your peace with that, Anya.”

“I don’t believe you.” She sobbed. “You’re still fighting, Ben. I can  _ feel  _ it. Let me help you, please. Just…” Anya sucked in a breath, the pain in her chest heightening. “Just come home.” She implored him once more.

But the man in front of her who looked like her brother shook his head again. “I don’t want your help.”

“Ben-”

“You need to leave, Anya. I mean it. I don’t  _ want  _ you here.”

And he did, she realized, taking in the hard set of his mouth and the way his eyes were blazing. He really didn’t want her there. She felt something crack inside her chest then, the pain so severe that Anya knew it was her heart breaking.

Everything seemed to slow then, as if she was trapped in a dream…in a nightmare.

“Oh.” She managed.

In her peripheral vision she saw him shift on his feet and run a hand through his hair. “I’ll make sure it’s clear for you to take off safely.”

“Fine,” Anya breathed. “If that’s really what you want.”

He said nothing, neither confirming nor denying her words. What happened next was something of a haze for her. Anya barely perceived him opening the door to the cell and barking a short order to the troopers standing guard outside before she was being escorted away, back to her ship. Once she was on board alone, Anya slumped down into the pilot’s seat, feeling numb. She almost didn’t even register Onyx landing on the armrest and cawing at her questioningly.

“He…he sent me away.” Anya told her, flinching at how utterly broken her voice sounded. “I-I don’t understand…I just-”

Nyx climbed up her arm and nuzzled her head into Anya’s neck, sensing she was upset. Anya smiled and pet the bird’s head. “Thanks, girl. What do you say we get out of here?” She quickly primed the engine and prepared to take off. “I need a drink.”

***

It wasn’t until she had punched in the coordinates and the ship was well into its light speed jump, that Anya Solo’s resolve shattered, and the sobs began to rip through her body.

And didn’t stop coming…

Even when it seemed all her tears had been spent.

Even when her ribs began to ache from the trembling, gasping breaths she drew.

Not even when she hadn’t the strength left to keep her head upright anymore.

She curled inward on herself, pain and sorrow sweeping over her like the waves of a tumultuous sea, and desperately bracing against it even though the will to fight had all but been snuffed out.

~

“Don't fire on that ship!” Kylo ordered, when he saw First Order gunners zero in on Anya's ship. 

“There's precious cargo on board.” He added, voice merely a whisper. His chest felt unbearably tight and he couldn’t stop seeing the broken expression on her face when he had ordered her away.

The officer didn't question him and Kylo was grateful as he watched the tiny craft disappear into hyperspace, taking a piece of his heart with it.

It wasn’t until much later when he was alone in his quarters that Ben Solo broke down in tears for the first time in nearly a decade.

***

_ “What are you doing, peanut?” _

_ Five-year-old Anya looked up to see her brother standing over her, an amused smile on his face. She gave him a wide, gap-toothed grin. “Drawing!” _

_ " _ _ Oh, I see,” he flopped down beside her on the floor, grunting the way all grown-ups seemed to when they sat down. Like bending their knees hurt or something. Anya didn’t get it. _

_ “And what is it you’re drawing?” Ben asked, attempting to peer at it over her arm. Anya presented it to him proudly. “It’s you!” _

_ Her brother took in the stick figure she had drawn with the disproportionate limbs, no nose, and exactly six strands of hair. _

_ “Wow, looks just like me.” _

_ “You like it?” She asked, biting her lip and looking at him expectantly. _

_ “No,” Ben said, and her face fell. “I love it!” He quickly added, ruffling her curly black locks. Anya positively beamed. “I’m gonna color it now!” _

_ He chuckled. “Okay, you do that, baby.” Ben leaned over and pressed a kiss to her hair, before making a move to get off the floor. Anya grabbed his arm, “no! Stay!” _

_ Ben looked into her big brown eyes and melted, just as he always did. How could he refuse her? “Alright.” He conceded, stretching out on his stomach next to her and resting his chin on his folded forearms. _

_ Anya went back to her art project, chattering happily as she colored. “Ben, Ben, Ben. My Benny, Ben, Ben.” _

_ When she was finished, Anya turned to look at her brother and found that he had fallen asleep. She reached out and stroked his cheek. He had been so tired lately and Anya didn’t know why. This was especially frustrating because she was at the age where she wished she could do more to help. Scrambling to her feet Anya ran over to the couch and grabbed a blanket, coming back to drape it over his body. Then, she curled up next to her brother, resting her head next to his and placing her hand atop his own. _

_ * _

_ Sometime later, Ben woke up on the floor in the living room. His baby sister was passed out right next to him, her little lips parting on each soft exhale as she breathed deeply. She was clasping his hand with hers and the drawing lay on her other side, forgotten. It was then that he realized a soft fabric was brushing his cheek. A blanket covered him, and Ben was certain it hadn’t been there before. Anya must have done it.  _

Such a sweet girl… _ he thought, gazing at her peaceful, sleeping face. _

_ Ben scooted closer, so he could drape the blanket over her and carefully wrapped an arm around her tiny body. Anya made the cute little snuffling noises in her sleep that he found so endearing and snuggled against his side. He turned his head and kissed her forehead, before sleep claimed him once more. _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that certainly didn't go the way Anya had planned! I would love to hear your thoughts about what happened! Why did Ben reject her? He was clearly pretty upset and shaken about it himself. Do you think she will be enough to bring him to the light or will he need something (or rather, someone *wink wink*) else? 
> 
> Stay tuned for more! There will be a special surprise in the next chapter as you will all get to meet some new characters that I think we all wished we had seen more of in TROS. I'll let the guessing commence about who it could be. Hint: You met one in the prologue and Anya saw that one again in this chapter. ;) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 6: Blood Is Weakness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers!!! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who has been so supportive of this story! Reviews make my day so be sure to let me know what you think! 
> 
> Special thanks to winglessone for the lovely moodboard! You're a gem!

_ Planet Chandrila, 23 ABY _

_ Anya Solo leaned back against the back of the chair and sighed contentedly as her brother lovingly ran a brush through her wet hair. She snuggled into the fluffy robe he had wrapped her in after her bath and enjoyed the feeling of the bristles on her scalp.  _

_ Her brother was softly singing an old lullaby to her and Anya closed her eyes, basking in the soothing sound of his deep and melodic voice. Anya loved it when Ben did her hair. It had been an almost nightly ritual since her hair had gotten long enough to style and she cherished that time they spent together.  _

_ Soon she heard him put the brush down before gathering her hair in his hands and starting to braid. Ben gently wound the strands together until Anya’s hair rested over her shoulder in a single, intricate braid.  _

_ She turned her head to beam up at him. “It’s pretty! Thank you, Ben.”  _

_ He smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re welcome, peanut. Now, get dressed and come to the kitchen. I’ll whip something up for dinner.”  _

_ “Noodles!” Anya exclaimed.  _

_ Ben laughed. “Alright, I’ll put in a word with the chef.” He paused and acted like he was deep in thought before adding with a wink “he says that won’t be a problem.”  _

_ Anya giggled. “Ben, stop being silly!”  _

_ Her brother let out one more chuckle as he made for the door. “Let me know if you need any help, sweetheart.”  _

_ “I can do it.” Anya replied, scrambling off the chair and marching over to the night clothes he had laid out for her. “I’m a big girl.” _

_ Another laugh. “Oh, I know you are.”  _

_ Anya spun around and frowned at him. “Ben, you have to leave now. I need privacy.”  _

_ “I suppose now wouldn’t be a good time for me to remind you that I changed your diapers.” He joked.  _

_ Anya made a face. “Eww, gross. Now go make my noodles!”  _

_ Ben grinned. “Yes ma’am.” He said with an added mock salute, before shutting the door behind him.  _

First Order Flagship,  _ Finalizer _

Xan and Bane were sparing with metal staves, the brothers both stripped down to bare waists, their bare feet leaving sweaty footprints on the floor. A few stormtroopers stood around the edge of the room, barking out criticism or encouragement.

Tyran sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the metal walkway like a lounging jungle cat as he watched the sparring match below.

He didn’t look up when Kylo joined him, sliding his long legs through the bars to mimic Tyran’s posture.

Kylo had just finished a session with Anesti, the ruthless weapons master. His bare skin glistened with sweat, his hair clinging to his scalp in damp strands. After his meeting with Anya, Kylo had needed to let off some steam. Anesti had obliged, pushing him through drills, driving him harder than any dared drive the Supreme Leader.

“I heard we had a visitor,” Tyran said after a length of silence.

Kylo said nothing. He was removing the wraps from his hands in a methodical way, his eyes not quite focused upon the sparring ring below.

“Point!” yelled Roth, who was acting as the judge, as Xan cracked Bane in the ribs with the end of his staff.

Bane grunted in pain.

Xan grinned at his brother.

They skipped back from each other, reset positions, and then recommenced, circling like wolves.

“I can’t help but wonder how they got so close to our ship,” mused Tyran.

“A flaw I intend to have remedied,” Kylo murmured.

“Do you think they will try to get in again?”

Kylo finished one hand and removed the wraps from the other. His knuckles were sore beneath. He thought of Anya’s expression when he told her he didn’t want her there. When he lied to her face for the first time, hopefully crushing any remnant of her affection for him. The act had destroyed him and went against how nearly every fiber of his being wanted to hold her close, tell her how much he loved her, and never let her go again....but it was the only way to keep her safe. “No.” Kylo answered Tyran finally, swallowing down his heartache. 

Tyran nodded, apparently satisfied. “Good. We can’t have a weakness in our defenses, can we?”

Kylo at last looked at Tyran.

The other man’s face was curiously contorted, his lips pursed in something resembling distaste. There was a hard edge in his eyes.

“Be careful, Tyran,” Kylo said, and there was a definite threat rumbling beneath his words. “You have wrongly assumed your place before.”

Tyran met his leader’s gaze. His lip curled in a sneer. “I know my place. It is to remind you of  _ your _ place.” He surged to his feet. “Face me on the floor.” Without waiting for a reply, Tyran vaulted over the railing, dropped ten feet, and landed nimbly on the metal grating below.

The spectators turned, surprised by the noise.

Xan and Bane paused in their match.

Kylo’s brow furrowed. He watched Tyran walk to the center of the mat and incline his head to Roth, speaking quietly to him. As he straightened, Roth stepped back and looked up to Kylo.

“Supreme Leader, Tyran has issued you a challenge.” He called. 

Kylo ground his teeth. He rose and descended to the gymnasium floor, striding over to stand across from Tyran at the center of the arena. 

The spectators stepped back, giving him a wide berth, but they didn’t leave. They were far too curious for that.

Xan and Bane passed over their weapons. The bolas was Tyran’s usual weapon of choice. It was difficult to use, requiring a very skilled expert hand, but then, Kylo supposed that was precisely why his second in command had chosen it in the first place. And indeed, he had mastered it to the point where he was just as deadly wielding it in battle as Kylo was with his crossbar lightsaber.

_ Well,  _ Kylo corrected his thoughts.  _ Almost as deadly. _

However, the rules of sparring required the use of the metal training staves to minimize irreversible injury. Tyran twirled his sparring staff between his hands, testing the weight, as he moved to the center of the ring and faced Kylo.

Kylo eased into a fighting stance, his weight on the balls of his feet, his grip on his staff light.

Almost before Roth cried “Begin!” Tyran attacked. Kylo blocked a strike intended for his side and quickly blocked again as Tyran swung at his face. The clang of metal on metal shuddered in the air. Tyran came relentlessly, swinging again and again, forcing Kylo to back up until he was almost at the edge of the ring.

Kylo planted his feet and checked Tyran’s next wild strike. For a moment they were locked, weapons crossed, and then Kylo shoved Tyran away, using his greater height. Tyran skipped several steps back. Both of them were a little out of breath.

Tyran began to circle his leader, again twirling the staff. “You’re out of practice,” he commented. A wicked grin flashed across his features. “Too much time sitting on your ass in Snoke’s throne room, letting Hux lick your boots.”

Tyran spun under Kylo’s strike, coming up to drive the butt of his staff into Kylo’s solar plexus.

Kylo’s breath burst from between his lips and he staggered backward, gasping.

There was a fire burning in Tyran’s eyes.  _ Come on _ , he seemed to challenge,  _ prove to me you’re worth the title of leader _ . He twisted the staff and it separated into two.

Kylo and Tyran moved about the ring, their blows so fast their arms were blurs. Skin gleaming, the muscles in their arms and legs flexing; flecks of blood speckled the floor, but whose, it was uncertain.

Kylo slammed his staff into Tyran’s wrist and one of the shorter sticks went flying. With one artful kick he swept Tyran’s legs out from under him. Tyran hit the ground and Kylo immediately pinned him, knee on his chest, the end of his staff pressed to the hollow of Tyran’s throat.

Tyran eyes were still blazing. “Blood is weakness,” he spat. “I will not serve a weak leader.”

Kylo leaned down, until strands of his hair were almost touching Tyran’s face. “Are we not brothers?”

Something changed in Tyran’s face. It became almost beatific, his eyes wide, his mouth slack. “You are my lord,” he whispered. “I would give me life for you, if you asked it of me. As your brother, it is for me to tell you when you stray and in  _ this _ you stray, master. The First Order is more family now than that little girl ever can be.”

Kylo’s grip tightened. His face was a mask, hard and cruel. The blood pounding in his ears set his mind on fire, and he almost drove the staff down, through Tyran’s delicate throat; he could almost hear the bones crunching. But then he saw Anya’s face again, his sweet sister. He saw it crumpling in grief, heard her words … _ you aren’t my brother…Ben would never turn me away. _

Kylo jerked back from Tyran as if he had been burned. He dropped the staff onto Tyran’s chest, turned on his heel, and stormed from the room.

The other Knights of Ren and troopers scrambled out of his way, watching him with a sense of bewilderment.

Tyran propped himself up on an elbow and stared after his leader.

***

“Our Supreme Leader has been compromised.”

Crim looked up from his work cleaning weapons when Tyran spoke. The Knight’s blood red eyes glittered with interest and his head tilted in curiosity. “Oh? And how is that?” Asked Crim. “Last I saw him an hour ago he had just finished beating your sorry ass in the arena.”

Tyran ignored this. “It’s a different kind of compromised.”

Crim’s eyes flitted back to Tyran’s gaze, his vertical, cat-like pupils dilating slightly. “Emotionally compromised then?” His tone did not mask his surprise. “That doesn’t sound like Kylo.”

“No,” Tyran agreed. “It sounds like Ben Solo.”

Crim pursed his lips and resumed his work. “A dangerous assertion,” he said. “I presume you have some sort of evidence to support it.”

Tyran paused for a moment before speaking. “A certain young brat showed up today, unannounced and uninvited.”

Crim raised his brows at that. “Ah. Now that is something.”

“She’s his ultimate weakness,” continued Tyran. “Her very existence threatens everything we have worked for this past decade.”

“I agree the girl poses a threat, but what do you suggest we do?”

“What we should have done years ago.” Tyran replied, tone resolute. “Eliminate her from the equation. Once she is out of the picture, Ben Solo will be gone for good and there will be nothing standing in our way.”

“That’s all well and good,” Crim started. “But how do you plan on executing this assassination? She’s long gone by now.”

" Not before I placed a tracker on her ship.”

Crim’s smile was positively wicked. “You have thought this through. I’m impressed. Though I am curious as to how you plan on keeping our noble leader from finding out about your plot to kill his sister.”

“I’ve reached out to a certain ally of the First Order and they are willing to send a squadron of fifty men to complete the mission. Trust me, no one will ever know the truth.” Tyran explained.

Crim nodded, before saying, “it sounds as though you have this well under control. Why come to me?” He asked.

“I need someone I trust to lead the men and ensure the deed is done.”

“I assumed you would be the one to do it.” Crim stated.

Tyran shook his head. “No. I would if I could, believe me. I would relish strangling the life of that impudent  _ child. _ But alas, just a short while ago Kylo communicated his intention of journeying to Jedha to retrieve a kyber crystal to construct a new saber. He has ordered that myself, Xan, and Bane accompany him. We leave within the hour.”

“When do you want me to leave?”

“As soon as you’re ready,” replied Tyran. “Oh, and bring Fallon along will you. He needs to learn to be more ruthless and this is the perfect opportunity for him to practice.”

They both turned to watch the youngest member of the Knights of Ren where he trained on the other side of the room. Fallon was quite adept with a bow, Tyran had to admit to himself as he watched the dark haired young man notch arrow after arrow, hitting the bullseye of every target, both moving and stationary.

An asset to the cause to be sure. However, Fallon did have one fatal flaw that Tyran was determined to beat out of him: he had a nasty little thing called  _ empathy. _

Crim nodded. “Where are we going?”

Now it was Tyran who gave a wicked grin. “Oh, just a little city called Jejune on the planet Sappho.”

Planet Sappho, The Academy

The Academy of Fellows was in the middle of the city, an elaborate, sprawling complex of buildings which floated – as did all the buildings in Jejune – above the turquoise sea. Clear glass bridges connected the college’s many towers, halls, and gardens.

_ The _ _ Firebird _ touched down smoothly on the top of a tower, which held a landing pad for just such occasions. As Jade busied herself with landing procedures, she hit the button to lower the rear hatch and allow her charges to disembark.

Poe led the way, Finn and BB-8 following closely behind, Finn craning his head to try and take in the massive academy.

They entered the main building through a massive set of marble doors. Poe continued to lead the way down a long hallway lined with grand marble pillars. Ornate arches decorated the high ceilings, some engraved with intricate gold designs. It looked like a palace.

Finn whistled appreciatively. “Dayumn.”

At the end of the hall there was a reception desk where a red-headed young woman sat behind a white oak desk.

Poe strode right up to her with purpose. “We’re looking for Headmistress Serah,”

“Alright, may I ask what your business is here?” The woman asked. 

“It’s confidential.” 

“I see,” she said. “And who are you?” 

“Also confidential.” Replied Poe. “Just tell her that friends are here to pick up the package.” 

The woman frowned. “I’m sorry, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Either you tell me who you are and what your business is or,” she gestured to the door. “I bid you good day.” 

Poe stared her down. “Listen, we came a long way and are not leaving until we get an audience with Headmistress Serah.” 

“I am Alba Serah.” Came another voice and a tall, willowy woman with long silver hair emerged from seemingly nowhere. Poe hadn’t even heard her approach. The woman was obviously past her prime, but she carried herself astutely and Poe could practically feel the authority rolling off her in waves. The headmistress reminded him of a scarier Leia and he tried to fight against the intimidation he felt when he met her icy blue eyes. 

Before Poe could speak, the Headmistress spoke again. “Devlin, would you be so kind as to give us some privacy?” 

The red-haired woman bowed her head respectfully. “Yes, Headmistress.” Then she exited the room, shooting Poe, Finn, and Jade a steely glare on her way out the door. 

Once Devlin was gone, Poe stepped forward. “Headmistress Serah, my name is Captain Poe Dameron, and these are my associates, Captain Jade Walker, and Finn. We were sent by General Leia Organa of the Resistance to retrieve her daughter.” 

I must say I’m surprised to see you here after I explicitly said the princess had run off.” Said Alba, completely ignoring Poe’s introduction. “So, you see, Captain Dameron, I cannot help you as she is not here.” 

“We are aware of that, Headmistress,” Poe reassured her. “But you see, the tracking device Leia has in the princess’s bracelet isn’t working. So, we thought we should stop here and at least ask if you had any idea of where she might have gone.” 

The Headmistress shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t. I wish I could say otherwise. I’m worried for the dear child.” 

"As is her mother.” Replied Poe, then he added, “can’t you track the academy ship she stole?” He didn’t mean to sound so snippy, but he was feeling beyond frustrated. 

Headmistress Serah shook her head. "Normally, yes. But the princess disabled it. I have no idea where she is." 

"Of course she did." Poe muttered. "Well, then we better hope this damn bracelet tracker decides to work." He hated that they were depending on outdated technology, but there obviously wasn't another option. 

"Poe..." Finn started.

"What?" Poe snapped, then immediately felt bad. None of this was Finn's fault. 

"Look." His companion lifted the tracker, where the blue light was now blinking furiously over....

"Sappho?" Poe said in disbelief. "She's back in Jejune?" 

"It appears that way." Said Jade, looking at it over his shoulder. 

"What's happening?" Alba inquired, taking a step forward and craning her neck to see. Poe took the tracker from Finn and showed it to the headmistress. "Either this piece of junk has gone completely haywire or Princess Anya is back in the city." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun! So you have met the Knights of Ren. In case you lost count it is Tyran, Xan, Bane, Crim, Roth, and Fallon. And Tyran is up to no good! I would love to hear your thoughts on what is going to happen next and what you think of the knights!


	8. Chapter 7: Close Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello wonderful readers! Here is the next chapter for your reading pleasure! Not super long, but it covers a very important moment in the plot! 
> 
> As always, thank you to everyone who continues to support this story, including nancylovesreylo and winglessone (additional thanks to winglessone for this chapter's lovely moodboard)! 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this and please drop a comment at the end to let me know what you think! :D

_Planet Chandrila, 24 ABY_

_“What are you doing?”_

_Nineteen year old Ben Solo turned his attention from the piece of paper on the desk in front of him and saw his six year old sister peeking over his shoulder, expression full of curiosity._

_“Studying some of the ancient Jedi texts.” He told her, lips twitching in a slight smile as she inched closer to examine his work. Her face scrunched in concentration as she gazed at the section of the text that he had already transcribed. Anya reached out and pointed to the page. “Why do the letters look like that?” She asked, staring at the elegant curves._

_“It’s called calligraphy.” Ben told her. “It’s a style of writing that you do with a special pen. See?” He picked up his calligraphy pen and wrote his name._

_Anya watched the movements of his hand, entranced. She reached out and traced the letters with her fingertips. “Cah-li-grah-fee.” Anya sounded it out slowly, and then looked to him for confirmation._

_He nodded. “You got it right.”_

_She grinned. “Can I try it?”_

_“Of course, peanut.” Ben replied, thrilled that she was showing interest. “Come here.” He added, scooting the chair back and beckoning her over. Anya went immediately and he carefully scooped her up and settled her on his lap. Wrapping his left arm snugly around her torso, Ben took up the pen in his right hand._

_“So, you want to hold it like this,” he explained, demonstrating before giving it to her to try. “Then when you write, do it at an angle, like this, so you get those nice curved letters.”_

_Anya took the pen and struggled to hold it correctly, attempting to mirror what he had done. He helped her position it just so and then guided her hand to the paper._

_It took a few tries, but eventually she managed to write her name in the calligraphy style. A little rough around the edges, but fairly good for her first time._

_“It doesn’t look as good as yours.” Anya pouted._

_Ben dipped his head to kiss her cheek. “It takes practice, sweetness. You’ll get there. I’ll help you.”_

_Anya turned around in his lap so she was facing him. Looping her arms around his neck she looked him directly in the eyes. “Promise?”_

_Smiling at her, Ben took his sister’s face in his hands. “Yes, love. But right now I need to finish studying, okay?”_

_“Can I stay with you?” Anya asked, gazing up at him with those big brown eyes that always made him putty in her hands._

_He sighed. “Alright, but you have to stay still. Can you do that?”_

_“Mhmm,” replied Anya, before she proceeded to lean in and rest her head on his chest, little body going limp against him. Ben smiled, wrapping both arms around her in a tight hug before picking up his pen and continuing to write. Anya nuzzled into him and soon became so still that he wondered if she had dozed off. Not that it mattered in the least, Ben thought to himself as he rested his head atop hers._

_With one arm wrapped around his baby sister securing her to him, Ben finished transcribing the texts. The final result wasn’t his best work, but he wouldn’t have traded the time he spent with his sister for the world._

Planet Jedha, Outside the Ruined City 

“I thought it was a desert!” cried Rey as her fingers flew over the controls of the _Millennium Falcon_ , desperately trying to keep it level as they were buffeted by gale force winds and a pounding rain.

Chewie let out a stream of growls.

“Rain!” Rey said accusingly. “Why is there rain? I did not dress for rain.”

Chewie shrugged.

“It’s alright for you, you only ever wear the same thing.”

_Grumble_.

It was not one of the _Millennium Falcon_ ’s more graceful landings, and Rey was glad there was no one else to witness it apart from Chewie and herself. The saucer ship skidded nearly fifty feet, gorging a deep mark in the wet sand.

Rey and Chewie sat without speaking for a long moment. The only sound was the rain hissing on the windshield. Lightening cracked, illuminating an enormous mound in the distance, before darkness once more fell. Thunder shook them.

“That’s the Ruined City?” Rey said quietly.

Chewie nodded in confirmation.

General Organa had told Rey a bit about the history of Jedha. The temple had been destroyed over thirty years ago in one of the first displays of the Deathstar’s awesome capabilities. Not long after, the city was abandoned, its people no longer wishing to live in the shadow of the Empire’s terrible deed. The Ruined City was all that remained of the temple, and even calling it a city was a stretch.

“It’s nothing but a pile of rubble,” said Rey. “Well, let’s get going.”

Scans of the surface of Jedha had revealed that an old mine shaft remained open. After the destruction of the temple, some had attempted to dig out the remaining Kyber veins, but had given up on the attempt when it proved not lucrative enough. Fortunately, Rey wasn’t looking for a profit in her venture; she only needed one.

Rey and Chewie were soaked within seconds of leaving the ship. They struck out across the muddy plane, slipping and sliding, Chewie, navigator in paw, in the lead. According to Leia, the device should alert them when they drew near to the core of the moon, where the crystals were the most densely accumulated. 

“I’m freezing,” Rey gasped as they stumbled into the shelter of the shaft. She hugged her arms and tried to keep her teeth from chattering. “Never thought I’d be complaining of cold on a desert planet.”

Chewie pulled out a flare from his pack and struck it. Orange light bathed the tunnel.

The ceiling was low and cramped, and the circumference of the tunnel rough. Metal support beams were spaced at regular intervals along it, keeping up the weight of rock above their heads. The tunnel was a like a gaping throat, ready to swallow them whole.

Rey shivered again, this time for quite a different reason. The tunnel reminded her of her vision on Ahch-To, of the reflections of herself stretching away infinitely. Then at the end the two shadowy figures the merged into one…she stared into the black. A wind came from it, thrilling her skin with goosebumps, and with it – a whisper. A soft, hushed voice, which Rey thought she knew…

_You’re not alone._

She became aware of how fast she was breathing. It was just a breeze, she assured herself. And yet, just for a moment…she had felt that brush upon her skin like a kiss. A greeting. But no. It was just a breeze.

***

They walked for what must have been an hour. Progress was torturously slow, ensured by the difficult terrain of the tunnel. The path seemed to go on forever in a winding descent that Rey figured must lead to the moon’s core and hopefully, the crystals. The sensor began to chirp when they rounded what felt like the thousandth bend they’d passed.

Rey glanced at Chewie. “We must be getting close.”

A soft glow emanated from up ahead, the first sign of light other than their flares, which were beginning to run dangerously low.

“There!” Rey called, jogging ahead and following the light.

Only to nearly run face first into a wall of rocks. The glow seeped through the cracks, taunting them…beckoning them.

Rey swore. “The core must be right through here. I’ll need to move these rocks to get through, but I’m afraid the tunnel might cave in on us…”

Chewy let out a series of growls.

“Yes, yes,” said Rey. “I know we don’t have a choice. I guess I’ll just have to be careful so we don’t end up crushed.”

Chewy grunted his agreement and Rey went to work. Shutting her eyes she reached out and channeled the Force to detect the rocks that were safe to remove. Then she closed in on them, concentrating her energy on pulling them out of the blockade. The tunnel began to creak and groan as more and more of the boulders were eased out of the way. Rey gritted her teeth and pressed on, waiting with baited breath and praying the weakened infrastructure of the tunnel would hold.

The last boulder slipped free, and Rey eased it to the ground as gently as she could manage. Then she ever so slowly relinquished her hold on the Force. The mining shaft gave one last shudder before everything went still.

She let out a breath of relief and carefully approached the new opening, Chewy following closely behind. They stepped through it and when they emerged on the other side, Rey couldn’t hold back a gasp of awe.

The core of Jedha was the most incredible thing she had ever seen. An expansive, spherically-shaped cavern was sprawled out in front of them and almost every square inch of it was covered with crystals that glittered like diamonds. It was so picturesque that Rey struggled to find the words to speak for a long moment.

“Look at all of them…” she breathed. “There’s enough here for an entire Jedi army…” It was too bad they were a little short on actual Jedi.

Rey turned to Chewy. “Luke told me that the kyber crystal chooses the Jedi. I guess I should start walking around?” She didn’t mean to make it a question, but she was feeling so unsure it just came out as such.

Chewy shrugged. It was a clear, _how should I know?_

She sighed. “Alright. I think you should stay here and keep an eye on things. I’ll come back when I’ve found one.”

Her companion grunted, signifying his acquiescence.

And so, Rey began her descent down into the gaping mouth of the core. There was no cleared path, but she did her best to carefully navigate around the thickest clusters of crystals. She had no idea what kind of sign she was looking for – as Luke had never clarified exactly what it was that would indicate which crystals was hers – and could only hope it would be obvious when it happened.

The core was deeper than it looked and soon Rey found herself in a small alcove. The ground inside it was solid rock, devoid of crystals, which at least made walking easier. Rey reached out to drag her hand along the crystals as she walked by them, hoping that something, anything would happen to let her know which one to choose.

There was nothing.

Rey sighed, and turned to continue…but something stopped her. It started as a warm tingling in the center of her back, but soon spread all the way to her limbs. Then something seemed to tug from deep within her, coaxing…urging her to turn around.

She did. Spinning around, Rey’s gaze immediately snagged on a single crystal directly across from where she stood. It seemed to glow more than any of the others. Right there, she knew it was the one.

Feeling as though she were in a trance, Rey slowly approached the crystal with her hand outstretched. The moment her hand touched the smooth surface a jolt went through her body like an electric shock.

Rey lifted the crystal closer to her face, stifling a soft gasp of wonder. It was warm to her touch. As she held it, the color changed to a pure, undiluted bronze.

Suddenly, a breath of air, like a warning tapped on her shoulder. Rey threw herself to the right, half a second before something struck the rock face directly where her head had been. She whipped around.

A stranger stood before her. He was tall, robed in flowing black garments, with a mask of black and silver hiding his features. It was not the mask of Kylo Ren, though she would have known it wasn’t him even if their mask was the same. She could _feel_ it.

“You’re a quick one,” said the stranger. His voice was low and cruel, even through the distortion caused by the mask. “Almost not quick enough.”

Rey backed away as the man began to circle her, his steps light and almost feline in their grace. Her hand strayed to her hip, where her blaster was holstered.

The man bent down and scooped up the object he had thrown. It was curious, a length of metal cord connecting to balls; Rey had never seen a weapon like it before. He began to spin it, slowly at first and then faster, until a humming filled their ears.

“Who are you?” Rey asked stiffly.

“I am Tyran,” said the figure. “Of the Knights of Ren. I think I can guess who you are. Pretty little girl, determined chin, out collecting Kyber crystals… My master is very interested in you, _scavenger_.” He spoke the name with great distaste. Rey pushed the crystal deep into her pocket. “He’s very interested in seeing you _dead_.” Tyran pulled back his arm.

Rey dove sideways, just as a bolt of green light shot through the air and hit the masked figure in his upraised arm.

He cried out and dropped the spinning weapon.

Rey scrambled to her feet and ran, straight at Chewie, who still had the crossbow raised, ready to fire again.

“Run!” Rey gasped, seizing him by the arm and dragging him around to follow her. “We have to get back to the ship!” If Tyran was a Knight of Ren, that could only mean one thing. _Fool, fool fool!_ Why had she ignored it earlier when the Force connection whispered to her? It had been letting her know that _he_ was here, nearby. She had ignored it, pretending it didn’t mean what it did, not wanting to believe what it meant…

The journey back from the core took much less time than getting there because now they knew the terrain and were practically sprinting. Before Rey knew it, she and Chewy burst out of the tunnel mouth and into the rain. The droplets pelted down on them so hard that they stung upon making contact with Rey’s face and neck. The torrential downpour also made for very poor visibility.

“I can’t see anything!” Rey yelled over the roar of the rain. Suddenly, the very ground moved beneath and she slipped, falling over a cliff that she hadn’t been able to see. Chewy roared in alarm and halted immediately, barely managing to maintain his own footing let alone catch her. Rey screamed as she slid down the startling steep hill. She hit the bottom and fell face first into mud. Coughing, spitting out sand, Rey lifted her head –

– and found herself lying at the feet of four hulking, masked figures. They were slow in turning to her, clearly just as surprised by her sudden appearance as she was at the sight of them.

Rey had eyes only for one. She knew it was him, could feel the pull between them. It was absolutely _electric,_ pulling taught, hot as a wire, in the seconds that passed.

Kylo Ren started towards her a step. She sensed his shock rippling down the bond. His mask dropped down, gaze clearly falling to the kyber crystal she still clutched in her left hand. Rey watched frozen in shock as his hand drifted to his belt and slowly removed the hilt of his saber.

The blade ignited.

From above them, Chewie shot a blaster charge.

The red saber blazed as Kylo lunged, spinning it through the air to knock the laser blast away. He halted, looming over her terribly, blade still raised. Time stopped. Rey stared up at him, rain bursting on her face and sizzling off the lightsaber. Kylo stared back, frozen, seemingly unable to move. He had only to swing down and she would be dead. She was utterly defenseless before him. The scarlet beam faltered.

“Ben.” She breathed, and could have sworn she saw a small shudder rock through him.

With a roar, Chewie now opened fire into the mix.

Kylo was forced to defend himself further as green bolts flew at him. The Knights of Ren responded with their own attacks, and Chewie hastily took cover.

Rey was on her feet and running, running flat out in the direction of the _Falcon_. Shots whizzed over her head and she started to weave back and forth, throwing off their aim. Chewie caught up within moments, and together they attained the dry interior of their ship.

Rey threw herself into the pilot’s seat and began flicking switches. Chewie did the same.

The engines thrummed to life.

Blaster fire peppered the side of the ship, the sound drowning out the relentless pounding of the rain. Rey grabbed the throttle and thrust it to full power causing the _Falcon_ to lurch forward, throwing her and Chewie back against their seats.

Rey clutched her kyber crystal tightly to her chest as she fought to catch her breath, and turned to look back to Jedha’s harsh landscape. She could still see them there, a mass of black figures on the plane, growing smaller and smaller as the _Falcon_ rose into the air. They were gone in the blink of an eye. Last of all, Rey felt a tug on the Force connection, but it was too weak to read the message in it. She slammed down her barriers and shut him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, so things are certainly picking up! Now, Kylo has had encounters with both Rey and Anya. How do you think that will affect him? How will it affect the other knights? 
> 
> Rey now has a kyber crystal to make her own lightsaber (also I would like to note here that I chose yellow for Rey's saber wayyyy before TROS lol), but Tyran's plot is still in the works, unknown by Poe and the others who are still racing to find Anya. Stay tuned for the next update! 
> 
> Also, this is random, but I hope everyone liked my inclusion of calligraphy in the flashbacks. I thought it would be sweet and fitting to have Ben teach his sister the art of calligraphy. I just love writing their relationship. <3


	9. Chapter 8: Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I am so sorry for the long wait on this one. I started a new full time job and things have been crazy busy so not a lot of time to write! Yet I still started a new WIP with winglessone and CajunSpice714, so maybe I am just crazy. LOL! But you guys should still go check it out because we are all super excited about it! It's called Neverland and its a Reylo/Peter Pan AU fic! 
> 
> Anyway, back to this fic lol. This chapter has more action in it and some characters meet for the first time! I hope you all enjoy it. Please drop a comment and let me know what you think! I live for them! 
> 
> As always, thank you to my dear friend, winglessone, for the lovely moodboard! <3

_ Planet Chandrila, 25 ABY _

_ “Han, are you sure we’re doing the right thing?” Leia questioned her husband as they stood watching their two children. Ben was cradling Anya against his chest and speaking softly to her, as she watched him with adoring eyes, listening intently.  _

_ “Leia, we’ve been over this...” Han started.  _

_ “I know, but look at them!” She exclaimed quietly, gesturing once more to their son and daughter.  _

_ “I am looking, sweetheart,” replied Han, grasping her shoulders and forcing her to look at him. “And what I see only makes me believe even more that we are doing the right thing...what’s best for them.”  _

_ “How though?” Leia whispered, gaze wandering back to her babies. “They love each other so much...”  _

_ “I know, I know,” Han soothed her. “It’s tearing me up too, but Ben is hanging by a thread. We both know it. The darkness within him is growing and one of these days he might snap...and I don’t think it would be wise for Anya to be anywhere near him when it happens.”  _

_ “He would never hurt her though...” Leia started. “She’s his whole world. He is completely devoted to her.”  _

_ “I know, I don’t think he would ever hurt her intentionally, but you and I both know what the dark side can do to someone.”  _

_ Leia nodded morosely, knowing he was right. Her father had unwittingly killed her mother by turning to the dark side and had nearly killed both her and her brother, Luke. _

_ “Besides, it will only be temporary, right?” Her husband continued. “You said yourself that Luke is Ben’s best chance. He has to learn how to control his power before it’s too late.” _

_ “I know.” Leia agreed, miserable. Her brother would be able to reach her son. Train him how to harness his growing power in the Force and then Ben could come home, no longer tormented by whatever inner demons he had been battling.  _

_ “Don’t doubt your instinct, Leia.” Han urged. “I can’t even begin to comprehend the Force or the burden Ben must be under, but I am his father. I love him and Anya more than I ever thought I could love and like you, I just want them both to be safe and happy. If this is their best chance, then what choice do we have?”  _

_ “You’re right.” Leia whispered sadly. She looked up to meet her husband’s eyes. “How are we going to tell them?”  _

_ Han pulled her into his embrace and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Like we’ve faced every other challenge. Together.”  _

Jedha, Outside the Ruined City

Kylo Ren gazed up into the dark sky and watched as his father’s ship disappeared from view into the storm clouds. The pouring rain pelted against him, the droplets ricocheting off the metal in his mask with a force like bullets. Acutely, Kylo could feel his tunic starting to soak through, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from where the Falcon had just been. 

Where  _ she  _ had just been. 

Rey. 

Once again he had the opportunity to kill her, to end the threat of her existence and their infernal connection once and for all. Yet once again he hadn’t been able to do it.  _ No.  _ He knew the truth now. He could have done it, easily. She had been at his feet, completely vulnerable before him. All he would have had to do was deliver one blow with his saber and it would have been over for her. They had both known it in that moment when they locked eyes and she had whispered his true name. 

No, it wasn’t that he couldn’t kill her; it was that he  _ wouldn’t  _ kill her, and that was infinitely more problematic. His feelings for her were becoming more and more conflicted by the day, and Kylo knew that how tumultuous his emotions had been lately was not helping that matter. It was as if the Force was playing some sort of cosmic joke on him, first seeing Anya after ten years apart and then his running into Rey all in the course of twenty-four hours. 

Clearly it wasn’t enough that he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about his baby sister, as Anya’s face had haunted his every waking thought since they parted.  _ Since you sent her away.  _ The cruel voice inside his head reminded him. Now, Rey filled his mind even more than usual, tormenting him further. He was pining, Kylo realized suddenly. He yearned for both of them in completely different ways. 

“Supreme Leader.” 

It took Kylo a moment to realize that Tyran had been speaking to him. Kylo turned his attention to his second in command. “What?” He snapped. 

Tyran stared at him for a long moment and Kylo could almost see his expression through the mask, full of scrutiny and searching for weaknesses. Kylo stared right back, keeping his feelings tightly locked away. He could not let Tyran pick up on his conflicted spirit. 

Finally, Bane broke the tension. “Do we pursue the girl, my lord?” 

Kylo shook his head. “No.” He replied, tone hard and unyielding, leaving no room for negotiation. That of a true Supreme Leader. “We came here for a reason. Anything else is merely a distraction that will waste time and energy. We press on to the core.” 

Without waiting for a response, Kylo turned and marched towards the entrance to the old mining tunnels. The very place from whence Rey had come just minutes before. 

Kylo shivered when her face flashed before him yet again, hair plastered down by rain and eyes wide and pleading. Her beautiful lips forming his name once more. 

_ “Ben.”  _

Then he saw Anya, his precious sister. Her eyes welling up with tears, expression full of confusion and betrayal as she pleaded for him to come home.

_ “Ben?” _

_ “You’re not my brother…” _

_ “Ben would never turn me away…” _

He had let them both down. Just like he had let down everyone else in his family. Everyone else who had ever cared about him. 

_ No.  _ He had to stop thinking like this. He could not show any weaknesses. Tyran was like a shark; if he smelled one drop of blood in the water he would hone in for the kill. 

So, Kylo put his shoulders back and pushed down all thoughts of the enchanting scavenger girl turned Jedi, and of his sweet baby sister. She was better off without him. 

They both were. 

~

  
  


Tyran watched as his leader strode away. Ren’s posture was stiff, his mind a swirling myriad of uninterpretable thoughts that Tyran could not decipher. He was hiding something, that much Tyran knew. Something had been off with Kylo ever since the little brat had shown up, and now the stupid scavenger girl seemed to be exacerbating the issue. 

It was all very suspect. 

“That was uncharacteristic for Lord Ren.” Xan commented. 

“Yes, the Supreme Leader has seemed a bit distracted as of late.” Added Bane, coming to stand beside his brother. 

“Perhaps two of us should pursue the girl, while the others stay with Ren.” Roth suggested. 

“No.”Tyran snapped. “We follow our orders. Kylo told us to press on to the core. And press on we shall. With any luck, whatever is triggering his strange behavior will no longer be of any consequence.” 

None of his companions dared argue and together they all set off after their leader. Tyran grit his teeth and silently hoped that Crim and Fallon’s mission went smoothly so that they could put this all behind them.

  
  
  


_ Planet Sappho, Jejune City, Trader’s Tavern _

__

Princess Anya Solo was drunk.

It was better this way. She was not normally a heavy drinker, but in this situation she appreciated the numbing of the senses that the alcohol provided. It helped to dull the pain of Ben’s rejection. Her brother had never turned her away. Ever. She had been completely blindsided. Still though, Anya was glad she had gone. If she didn’t, she never would have seen the truth; that her brother was not lost forever. She had seen Ben Solo reflected in Kylo Ren’s eyes, and knew that for at least a few minutes her brother had been the one there.

This realization gave her a newfound sense of hope that she clung to desperately; that all was not lost. Anya knew then that she would do anything it took to bring her brother home and that she would not give up until she succeeded.

But right now, she needed to regroup. Downing the rest of her fourth – or was it her fifth? – drink, Anya scrunched her face as the deep burn of the alcohol worked its way down her throat and spread into her chest. Then she groaned upon her next realization.

This was the downside of having five full sized drinks. Anya was harshly reminded of it as her bladder screamed in its protest. Sighing, she clumsily slid down from the barstool and stumbled to the public lavatories. She knew that soon she would have to head back to the academy and would be facing quite the lecture from Alba. 

It wasn’t until she had finished and was about to exit the lavatory when she felt it. Straightening from the sink, Anya looked over her shoulder when she felt an invisible touch brush her back, almost like a warning. Deciding it would be best to get back to the crowd of people in the main part of the pub, Anya pushed the lavatory door open…

…only to come to a crashing halt the moment she stepped outside.

Three people stood there in the otherwise deserted hallway, two men and a woman, all staring at her. The hustle and bustle of the pub was all but a background hum. The man in front held up his hands, as if she were a frightened animal he was trying to calm.

“Anya Solo?” asked the man. He was clearly a few years older than her, handsome, dark haired and tan, and dressed in a pilot’s uniform. 

Anya stiffened. For someone to know her real name they were either an enemy, or from her mother, neither of which was good news. “Who’s asking?”

“My name is Captain Poe Dameron. This is Finn,” he gestured to the dark-skinned man beside him, who smiled warmly at her.  _ He has kind eyes,  _ Anya noted. “And this is Captain Jade Walker.” Poe continued, introducing the woman. “We are friends of your mother’s.”

“Oh yes?” said Anya. She was instantly suspicious whenever anyone made a mention of either of her parents, or of their work. She casually slid her hand to her belt, where her blaster hung as a warning.

“We’ve come because your mother received word that you had run off.” Poe told her.

Anya snorted. “News sure travels fast. But not fast enough, apparently,” she continued. “Because as you can see I made it back to my prison safe and sound. So,  _ Captain  _ Dameron,” Anya smiled. “I bid you and your company a good day and safe travels back to…wherever you came from.”

“Anya, I don’t think you completely understand. Your mother didn’t just send us to find you…she sent us to bring you home.” Said the man with the kind eyes, Finn.

“Home?” Anya repeated with a harsh laugh. “So, she has sent you here to recall me from exile? I’ve finally served my sentence, then. How very refreshing.”

Poe hesitated. “I’m sorry that we didn’t reach you sooner, but to be honest, most of us weren’t aware of your existence.”

Anya laughed again. “Story of my life.”

“You belong at home with your family.” Said Poe.

“My  _ home  _ has been burned to ash and my family is broken, scattered across the galaxy in pieces. So, you see Captain Dameron…” Anya sauntered over to him unsteadily and stared up into his brown eyes intently. “I won’t be going with you.”

The pilot frowned suddenly and reached out to steady her as Anya swayed on her feet. “You’re drunk.” Poe said. Anya didn’t care for his accusatory tone.

She gave him a coy smile, too drunk to offer the correct reaction to her distaste. “Well well, he’s not as mentally impaired as he looks.”

Poe’s jaw set, but he said nothing, so Anya took the opportunity to continue. “You can tell my mother that I’ll be happy to return home when she retrieves the one who actually makes it my home.”

He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“You wouldn’t.” She replied with a smirk, before turning on her heel and started to walk away. Poe reached out and grabbed her arm, his grip unyielding. “Princess…”

“Unhand me.” Anya hissed through gritted teeth. This man was getting her nerves.

“Or what?” Poe’s tone was not threatening or cruel. “You’re hardly in a position to be on your own right now. Exactly how many drinks have you had?”

She snorted and shook off his grasp. “Please. I may be young, but trust me Captain, I can hold my liquor just fine.” Anya looked him up and down before adding, “though, I get the feeling the same can’t be said for you?”

He advanced on her again, eyes narrowing. “Listen,  _ Princess,  _ we promised your mother we were going to bring you home safely and I am  _ not  _ leaving without you.”

Anya stared right back. “Yes, you are.”

Before Poe could respond, blaster shots rang out and they all dropped to the ground. Poe threw himself over Anya, shielding her, the action driven by pure instinct. There was a scream and within seconds the tavern erupted into chaos.

***

Fallon grew tired of violence.

He was a trained warrior, it was true; instincts finely honed and senses attuned to the thrill of battle and the glory of laying waste to scores of enemies. The only problem was that unlike his fellow Knights of Ren, Fallon drew no pleasure in slaughter, and found no glory in the destruction that accompanied war. In fact, he rather detested the sharp tang of blood that seemed to permeate the air in every fight.

Still, he dared not admit these feelings to his brothers, for he knew that they would have his head if they found out. Especially Tyran. It never ceased to fill Fallon with unease just how bloodthirsty the second most powerful Knight was. He had watched Tyran’s eyes fill with  _ joy  _ and felt the pleasure he felt when a life bled out by his hand.

Much like the life presently being snuffed out by his current companion. Fallon fought back the bile rising in his throat as he watched Crim drive his blade deeper into the unfortunate civilian’s throat. Blood poured from the man’s jugular, coating the blade and Crim’s leather gloves.

Fallon sighed, trying to sound exasperated, rather than disgusted. “Is this hardly necessary?”

There was a deadly glint in Crim’s eyes as he pulled the blade out and carefully wiped it on his sleeve. His victim crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath his lifeless body. Fallon couldn’t hold back his flinch, and Crim saw.

“Going soft on me, are we,  _ boy?”  _ Crim taunted cruelly. Calling him  _ boy _ was a direct jab at Fallon because at twenty-five he was the youngest of the knights.

Fallon glared at him. “All I’m saying is that terrorizing civilians is a waste of time. We should stick to the mission.”

Crim narrowed his blood red eyes. “Hmm…eager to see the little brat dead, are we? Perhaps there’s hope for you yet.”

Fallon felt sick to his stomach, but he kept his expression hard. “Something like that.”

Crim gave a discreet signal to the small company of about ten mercenaries Tyran had hired for the assassination. They were dressed all in civilian clothes and blended in seamlessly with the citizens of Jejune.

“She’s close,” said Crim, nostrils flaring like a predator catching the scent of its prey. “I can feel it.”

It hit Fallon then, too. One of the strongest Force signatures he had ever felt. It was also unnervingly familiar. Fallon shuddered. “I feel it too.”

Without warning, Crim put his mask back on and bolted across the street towards the tavern from where the Force signature was coming. Fastening his own mask, Fallon grabbed his bow and notched an arrow before charging after his companion. The mercenaries fell in behind them both, some fanning out to surround the tavern and the others entering after Crim.

_ Apparently they weren’t doing this quietly _ , Fallon thought to himself as the company opened fire and chaos ensued. 

Bursting through the door, Fallon drew back the arrow and scanned the tavern. The occupants were screaming and running in all directions. Some had thrown themselves behind the bar, were cowering under tables, or were simply curled up in fetal position on the floor. Crim was in the center of it all, blaster fire bouncing off his body armor and mask as he cut innocent bystanders down with his double bladed spear.

“Where is she?!” Crim bellowed.

Taking a step forward, Fallon startled when his boot met resistance. Immediately stepping back, he looked down to see a young woman trembling on the ground. She was clutching at her head and sobbing violently.

Without thinking, Fallon leaned down and gently pulled her up and onto her feet. The woman screamed harder and started to hit him, trying to get away.

“Stop it!” Fallon hissed, dragging her out of the line of fire and towards the exit. “I’m trying to help you.” He let her go with a small push. “Go. Get out of here.”

The woman blinked at him in shock for a moment, and he could only imagine what she saw; a menacing, masked figure clad all in black and towering nearly a foot and a half over her. He didn’t have much time to wonder before she turned and ran, quickly disappearing from sight. Feeling temporarily relieved by saving one life, Fallon turned back to the fray.

The scene had changed in the moments he had been away. Most of the patrons of the bar had either fled or were lying dead on the floor. Crim and the mercenaries were locked in a fierce battle with the few armed individuals in the tavern and three other individuals who stood out from the crowd.

The first was a dark-haired man with a shorter stature than Fallon, but he was muscular, and it was clear he packed a mean punch as he knocked out a mercenary with one blow to the face. His evident skill in hand-to-hand combat made it apparent that he was no stranger to battle.

The same could be said for the blonde woman fighting beside him. She was clearly a bit older but just as skilled, Fallon noted, as he watched her quickly take out two mercenaries with incredible ease.

The third was a dark-skinned man who was also fighting valiantly, though it was apparent he was the least experienced of them all. The effort was there, but his movements were sloppier and less deliberate. It was clear he was out of his element. Crim, ever the predator, honed in on that insecurity immediately and rushed him, blades drawn and ready for the kill.

Suddenly, there was a blur of movement and a fourth figure burst onto the scene. A girl, no more than seventeen or eighteen years old intercepted Crim’s attack. Catching Fallon’s normally lethal companion completely off guard, she landed a vicious kick to the center of his chest, sending him falling backwards and crashing into a cluster of bar stools. 

Recovering from his shock, Fallon raised his bow and pulled back the arrow, aiming it at the girl.

Then she turned to face him, and their gazes locked.

The very breath was knocked from Fallon’s lungs and time seemed to stand still.

It was  _ her.  _ He would have known her anywhere.  __

Princess Anya Solo was standing mere feet in front of him and he had a clear shot. He could do it. He could end her right there and complete the mission, perhaps finally earning the approval and respect of his brothers. Fallon’s fingers seized up, refusing to release the arrow he had notched and waiting. 

Stars, she had grown from the last time he had seen her. A mere child then, but now Anya was a beautiful young woman, and her resemblance to her brother was uncanny. Long black hair tied back in a braid and a pair of the most intense eyes he had ever seen. Ben’s eyes.

He  _ couldn’t  _ do this.

His hesitation soon proved to put him at a disadvantage because suddenly Anya waved her hand and Fallon found himself being thrown through the air. He hit the wall of the tavern hard and then everything went black.

***

Poe watched in absolute awe as Anya neutralized the two massive, heavily armed thugs. A single, powerful kick sent the larger of the two crashing into a cluster of tables and barstools and with a simple wave of her hand, Anya sent the second flying backwards into the wall. Both crumpled to the ground in motionless heaps. The entire skirmish took less than a minute and Poe couldn’t help but be awestruck at the ease with which Anya had taken them down, and all while being inebriated. 

Poe was snapped out of his reverie when Anya turned and started to walk away. “Hey, wait!” He called and rushed to her side, taking her arm. “Where the hell did that come from?” He demanded.

Once again, the princess jerked free from his grasp and glared at him. “What? Were you expecting a helpless damsel? Sorry to disappoint.” She made to leave again and Poe was forced to intercept her once more. “Where do you think you’re going?”

She raised one elegant brow. “Back to the academy.”

Poe shook his head. “No way. Were you present for what happened just now? It’s clearly not safe for you here anymore.”

“Poe’s right, Anya-er, princess. Princess Anya. You really need to come with us for your own safety.” Finn said, coming to stand behind Poe. Jade lingered a few feet behind, as observant as a sentry guard.

Anya laughed. “For my safety? In case you forgot, it was me who just saved  _ all  _ of your asses. So, for the last time, I don’t need your protection and I am not going with you.”

Before anyone could respond, Jade let out a shout of alarm from behind them. Poe spun around to see what had caused her to cry out. The brute that Anya kicked into the furniture had regained consciousness and was clamoring to their feet. He let out a feral roar of rage and it seemed his gaze locked right on Anya. “I’ll kill you, you bitch! When I’m through with you, you’ll be  _ begging  _ for death!”

They all stumbled back in unison, Anya bumping into Poe. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her. She turned to look at him and their eyes locked. For the first time he saw a touch of fear in her eyes. “Time to go.” Poe said, wasting no time in grabbing the princess by the arm and dragging her along as they made their escape from the all but obliterated tavern.

For once Anya didn’t fight him, allowing Poe to guide her along as she sprinted next to him. Finn and Jade were hot on their heels, and Anya heard Nyx caw to her and the raven swooped down in pursuit. Blaster shots started to rain down on them as more of the anonymously dressed thugs seemed to come from nowhere.

“Who are these people?!” Finn shouted, ducking to avoid being shot as blaster charges hit the ground and buildings around them.

When they reached the ship, Poe shouted to Jade as they ran up the ramp. “Get us out of here!”

Beside him, Anya swayed unsteadily, the alcohol seeming to catch up to her. “I’m perfectly capable of flying my own ship…”

He turned to her, but the young woman was already crumpling to the ground in a dead faint. Poe caught her and gently lowered her to a seated position on the floor of the  _ Firebird _ .

She came around surprisingly quickly, and when she did her first words were, “I suppose I had better sober up first, though.”

Poe smirked. “That would be a good start. Though I hate to break it to you, Princess, but this isn’t your ship.”

Anya blinked and looked around, a slow frown spreading across her face. “That was a rotten trick…” Her eyes fluttered closed and her head lolled to the side as she lost consciousness again. Poe lifted her up to lay her on the bench just as the ship rose into the air. Within seconds, they hit light-speed and left Sappho and Jejune City far behind. 

***

It was a horrible thing to be hungover in space.

Poe knew what it was like, although he wouldn’t have admitted that to the little princess curled on the floor of the transport with an unturned flight helmet between her knees. The large black raven that had followed them onto the ship was perched on the princess’s shoulder and was nuzzling the girl affectionately. Finn, who had no idea what it was like, was trying to offer her consoling words, but after Anya shot him a venomous glare he desisted and retreated back to the cockpit with Poe.

“Better to leave her alone,” Poe said to Finn in an undertone. “She’s probably in shock.”

It was only once they had safely taken off when Poe took a moment to reflect upon the young princess, trying to come up with an appropriate way to describe her. Beautiful was a gross understatement. Anya Solo was absolutely stunning.

She had her mother's petite stature, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulder. Her figure was complete perfection, soft curves balancing out hard, muscled angles.

Thick, obsidian waves of hair that reached her middle back framed the most breathtaking face Poe had ever seen. Her high cheekbones were sharp and angular, nose straight, and full lips a soft, baby pink in color.

It was Anya's eyes, however, that were the most striking. They were so dark that they were nearly black. Poe was both entranced because he had never seen such eyes, but also unnerved because there was a certain familiarity to them that he couldn't quite place.

“She looks just like him,” Finn murmured, eyes upon Anya’s dark features. “They could be twins.”

As if she could sense them watching her, Anya lifted her head and Poe felt like the breath was knocked out of his lungs as her gaze slammed into his own. He felt a shiver work its way down his spine.

Finn was right. Because in that moment, staring into her dark, fathomless orbs, it was as if he was gazing into the eyes of Kylo Ren himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty then! Anya is safely with Poe and the others! Tyran's assassination plot failed (which shouldn't have been a surprise at this point haha). 
> 
> Now, they are on their way back to Resistance base. How do you think Leia will receive her daughter? How will Anya feel about seeing her mom for the first time in years? We also have a much anticipated meeting coming soon! You all know what I am talking about! ;) 
> 
> Oh! And how are we feeling about Fallon? Got to see a lot more of his character in this one! <3
> 
> Please drop a comment and thanks for the support! You guys are the best!


End file.
